Mutant X Starjammers
by foxnranger
Summary: A Mutant X story featuring Cyclops and the Starjammers, pretty much ignoring what (little) happened in the comic.
1. The Beginning

            "It is well you have returned, Nova, for my hunger grows unbearable. What have you found for me? How many worlds that meet my requirements?"

            "Well… uh… see… that's the thing… I searched this whole sector. There were not suitable worlds…" The young, amber flame of a woman swallowed, and finished, "I guess we'll have to go somewhere else."

            The silence that followed was almost deafening, The two words that broke it were by contrast very soft. "You lie."

            Nova's eyes widened a little. "What reason would I have to lie?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

            "Do not compound your perfidy by denying it." Galactus rose from his seat, looming even further over the tiny woman. "I have monitored your travels, and scanned each world you visited. And I have found what you insist does not exist." A small blue world flickered onto one of the mammoth view screens. "This sphere contains the proper combination of elements that will provide me with sustenance. And yet you would deceive me and have me turn away from it."

            "There are millions of people-"

            "I am Galactus. I take what I need. Any other considerations are beneath my being. When I deigned to accept you as my herald, you swore your allegiance solely to me. You have changed, Nova, beyond the transformation I wrought in you. And I find this new demeanor unacceptable! You must again learn what obedience is. And that lesson begins now."

            Nova suddenly realized that all that time, Galactus' worldship had been bearing down on the planet she had been attempting to divert him from. Helpless, she followed him as he descended to the surface, her pleas for mercy ignored as Galactus plucked one of the world's inhabitants, an executioner, out of a military base of some kind, transporting the being to his worldship. Minutes later, the world was nothing more than a collection of dust and rock and trash floating in space.

            Galactus turned to regard her again, before moving back into the worldship, and she saw that his earlier fury seemed to have diminished now that he had fed. So Nova pushed the conversation again, having found that once his hunger had been sated, he was actually a being that could be conversed with, even reasoned with. "How can you obliterate whole planets, whole _races_, as if it means nothing to you? Why all this…. What are you doing?" She asked suddenly, as she caught sight of them man Galactus had taken earlier.

            "I am freeing you Nova. Permanently."

            "What?"

            The devourer of worlds did not deign to meet her gaze, which made the next words hurt even more. "You are free to go. Your service has become bothersome, and I no longer require it."

            "You're asking me… to leave?" she whispered.

            "You are no longer welcome here. Leave, and trouble me no more." When she didn't comply, he thundered, "GO!"

            She went.

            Several weeks later, on the tradeworld of Mundonis, a man concealed under a lengthy coat and wide brimmed hat in keeping with the local dress moved through a crowd of, there being no other way for his thoughts to describe them, the scum of the space fearing universe. Even though Mundonis was a prime meeting place for pirates, thieves, mercenaries, slavers, and conspirators of all kinds, it wasn't all as openly repulsive as the southern continent. The city of Dunon in particular seemed to be the center of the planet's slave trade, and Norrin was not too pleased with having to be there. He kept his eyes well averted from the near pornographic advertisements plastered on the buildings advertising this club or that one, looking around only long enough to make certain he was still on course for the club that he – unfortunately – meant to enter.

            A light rain had started falling, heralded by a gentle thundering overhead. It made the ensuing scene more fitting in mood, it seemed. Several men had stepped forward from various shelters, taking positions around the shrouded man.

            "Hey friend," the one who seemed to be the leader leered, taking a step forward. "You look new in town. You come to look at our….," he trailed off to chuckle darkly, "…'filthy' trade? Or are you just here for the Herald they brought in. See, I was thinking that Murz over there ain't chargin' enough for his admission, and so I was thinking I should charge my own."

            The passersby were either just hurrying on by, or simply ignoring the scene. This was likely somewhat common.

            A knife appeared in the leader's hand as he approached the disguised man. "So how about coughing up a few creds, huh pal? I'd sure hate for you to have to see the medical wards of our fair city on your first trip…"

            His smooth, slightly gritty voice was cut off in a yelp as he tripped over the foot of another pedestrian. The pedestrian apologized, but didn't sound even remotely sincere. "Whoops. Sorry 'bout that." This man too was hidden under a cloak, a sort of green plaid number, clasped with a gold pin.

            It was a rather large and burly man who grabbed an armful of this new man's cloak, hefting him towards his face. "And I think you better start being even more generous than Mr. Hat's going to be!" He'd indicated the shrouded man, suggesting the green-cloaked man owed more than he, a fist cocking back to punctuate his words.

            "Hey now," the green-cloaked man held up his hands appeasingly, "you wouldn't hit a man in glasses, now would you?" The subtle joke was lost on the Mundonians, who simply snarled at him to take them off then.

            "Whatever you say, slugger."

            The tense air was sliced by a ruby red blast firing from the man's eyes, blowing the man back several feet. Another man had a pistol out in a flash, only to stop short as a throat was cleared loudly behind him. He found himself staring down the barrel of a pulse rifle, held by a rather irritated-looking blonde woman.

            The leader was starting to recover, glancing between the woman and the man. "Human filth," he growled, focusing then on the emblem revealed as the cloaked man's cloak had been pulled open in the scuffle.

            "You're those triple-damned Starjammers!"

            "Wow, B, we're famous."

            Scott had hoped they'd listen to reason, but they still seemed intent on drawing blood. A shame…..for them.

            He would have preferred to ignore the men entirely, but the sudden, and unexpected intervention of the cloaked man deterred his departure. Even though part of him was inclined to depart anyway, feeling he had more pressing matters to attend to than a scuffle in the street. Especially once the man revealed that he was capable of defending himself just fine, and his companion revealed her presence as well.

            More likely than not, it was the utterance of the word 'human' that gave him the final persuasion needed to stay. He had a soft spot for the race, being so like his own. He knew little of the so-called Starjammers, except that they were pirates. He'd actually thought them to be Kree mercenaries, and as he generally tried not to put himself between the Kree and the Skrull, he had never gone to great lengths to learn about them. It was possible that they were simply looking for a fight themselves, but…

            He was here.

            Not seeming inclined to participate in the witty banter like everyone else, the Norrin Radd let himself get caught in the circle of aliens as they pressed around the Starjammers. Not flaunting his powers as he didn't want to be recognized – because there were just far too many people with a reason to want him dead – he settled for hand to hand combat, until he was nailed in the back with a heavy-duty energy weapon of some kind. It did him little harm, but the same couldn't be said for his clothing.

            His glistening skin gave the fight around him a sudden pause, giving him ample room to get to his feet and shake off the shards of fabric.

            "It's… It's the Surfer!"

            Clenching his fists, green energy blazed to being around his hands and forearms, the glow reflected in his narrowed eyes. That display was enough to send the people previously intent on robbing him fleeing – although he held no illusions that it wasn't simply in order to get reinforcements. They already had one former Herald imprisoned on this world, a second – no less than the famed Silver Surfer – would make an even greater display. Cosmic powers or not, the sheer numbers would overwhelm him.

            The energy bolts died away when he and the two humans stood alone on that section of street. "I thank you for your assistance," he said quietly, and turned to go. Time was more pressing than ever now.

            "So you're here to spring the other one? Nice to have friends in high and mighty places." Sweeping the cloak from his shoulders, he swept it around the Surfer, readjusting the clasp that had been jarred loose in the fight. "Let's keep your 24 karat sterling skin outta sight, huh?"

            "Name's Cyclops, and that's Binary. Feel free to forget us if you like, but we're here to keep the other Herald outta the wrong hands ourselves. 'Wrong hands' meaning most any sorry piece of protoplasm within a billion light years of this rock angling to claim her for a slave, weapon, or who knows what. I'd rather Murz not line his pockets with the proceeds either."

            Cyclops had a less-than-pleasant association with the alien Murz. It was Murz who'd captured him when he was a small boy tossed out of D'Kenn's palace, passed over as a 'worthless human boy'. Living the next several years in slavery until he'd escaped again had left him with a bit of grit in his temperament, but he'd rode the storm with his character intact, at least.

            And now, a little revenge along with keeping the galaxy safe, and the Herald at liberty, it was harmless, wasn't it?

            Norrin was visibly startled by the cloak being draped around his shoulders. It was one of his quirks, really, to believe in the nobility of the human race, and yet still be surprised when they actually lived up to his expectations. Then again, after being trapped on their little world for several very, very, very long years… he had also learned not to let his desire to trust the humans completely overrun his common sense. Doctor Doom had taught him that lesson the hard way. He'd have to keep an eye on these two in case they had their own ulterior motives.

            "I would be grateful for your assistance in freeing Nova," he murmured with a polite nod. "We must move quickly. I do not doubt that my intentions here will be easily guessed when my presence is reported. My… sources have informed me she is in a place called 'Flamers'." His voice held a disdain for the irony in the club's name.

            "Funny irony is, Surfer Boy, there's probably at least half a dozen other groups looking to get your Nova out, only they mean to get her free of charge. We just have to be sure we're the ones who do it first."

            Scott knew the way to the rather flashy club called Flamers quite well. He usually had a disadvantage in manpower and strength when it came to dealing with aliens – the scant few humans who actually made forays out into the universe were looked on in contempt, as backwater hicks who couldn't get off their own planet, and had just hitched rides into the great beyond. Scott hadn't volunteered, himself, but he was used to being looked down on. He never let it bother him.

            "If I had to guess, the back ways and side ways and secret ways and whatever other ways are going to be impossible to crack. I kinda figured slipping in the front door was our best option. Too many crooks to watch to narrow out one face."

            "I had arrived at that conclusion as well," Norrin said with another nod, and allowed this Cyclops to lead the way.

            Milling into the club amidst the crowd of eager patrons unnoticed was easy enough, it seemed. As was finding Nova. She was on stage with a number of other women, dancing. And while he would have preferred to avert his eyes from the scene, he found he couldn't. The blank, absent look in her eyes, so mismatched from the look on her face, held his attention. As a human might say, the lights were on, but no one was home. A quick glance to some of the other scantily clad women showed that Nova was alone in the trance-like state. She, like the rest of the women, wore a slavers' collar, though hers appeared different from the rest. Norrin suspected that it was designed to keep her powers in check should she become unruly.

            It really didn't look like that was likely. He tried to surmise what had caused this. Nova's spirit was one he had always suspected could not be broken by any means.

            Mingling in the crowd proved fruitful for Scott. Nova was fairly easy to spot, as none of the other women sported flaming hair, but the Captain of the Starjammers was beset by Murz himself upon trying to near the stage.

            "Yoooouuu look like the kind of man who needs a companion to fill his evenings…" He staggered slightly. His performance was telling Scott two things. Firstly, and most importantly, he didn't recognize Scott. Scott hadn't been wearing his visor when he'd been the slave boy, so it figured. Secondly, he was quite plastered. From the amount of money Murz stood to make off this evening, it was somewhat understandable.

            Binary seemed intent on 'helping' Scott in his endeavors. "Oh yes, you wouldn't believe how long his bed has been empty." Scott would have shot her a snide glance, at least if Murz hadn't lurched towards the stage again.

            "Well then consider one of these fine beauties, boyo! Take Nova there! Former Herald of Galactus, she is! She's nearly powerless with that collar on, and she takes orders –really- well….," he leered. "I'm sure you could use that for some…'eventful' evenings."

            "You don't say," Scott murmured, a hand reaching up to adjust the knob on the side of his visor. The lenses were realigned to project a pinpoint beam, and with a bit of precise aim…..

            Her collar sprang open with a slight popping noise, clattering onto the stage. Scott sprang onto the stage alongside the woman who looked rather empty at the moment. "Don't mind if I do, Murz!"

            Scott's sword was out and slicing through a cable that another dancer had been seductively hanging and swinging from, making her fall with a shriek.

            "Cyclops!" Murz's horrified realization was a bit late, but not bad, considering it had been almost twelve years.

            "Just relax, Nova, I'll get you out of here." Scott was trying to whisper reassuringly into her ear quickly, catching the cable, grabbing her around the waist, and swinging somewhat impressively over the heads of several stunned patrons.

            "Cover us, B!" Scott was feeling somewhat optimistic until his swing came to an end, right in front of several armor-clad bouncers. And this armor they were wearing was some serious stuff. Scott couldn't blast them away without taking the whole front of the building with them, and that would mean dropping a nice chunk of the roof on himself, Nova, and several somewhat-innocent people.

            "Um, hi…" Scott was racing for ideas as they began advancing.

            Nova uttered a tired shriek of, "You're not allowed to touch the merchandise!" as she was tugged off the stage by Cyclops. It was a statement echoed in some form or another by several other club employees in the area. People getting grabby with the entertainment was a reoccurring theme, of course, and Murz had measures in place to deal with it, as Scott quickly discovered.

            "You're going to get me in trouble," she replied to him, obviously unaware that this was a rescue, or that one was necessary.

            The Surfer had disappeared in the crowd, and he appeared now, behind the group closing in on the human and Nova. He spread his hands open before him, the charged look flaring in his eyes again, this time sans energy bolts prepared to be thrown. It had occurred to him that neither of them could do much shooting without destroying the place and endangering lives, but that instead he could absorb or contain the excess energy from Cyclops' blasts.

            "I'm afraid I am always in trouble, Nova." Scott didn't sound too perturbed, despite himself, interjecting himself in between Murz's bouncers and Nova.

            Murz was sounding delighted again, sobered somewhat by the disturbance. "This is too good to be true. I get to sell the former Herald as well as the only human too stupid to get back into its cradle," he sneered, again voicing to all too common sentiment that humans didn't belong outside their planet's atmosphere.

            "I'd sooner find a taste for impaling myself on my own sword, Murz."

            The Silver Surfer had arrived from the crowd, Binary right behind him, but Surfer didn't look like he was about to go tossing around the Power Cosmic he was supposed to have, but his appearance at least slowed the bouncers.

            His arms were spread, but no fireworks. "I'm hoping you're not going to start a game of Blind Man's Bluff, Surfer," Cyclops quipped, one hand on Nova's arm, needlessly keeping her still, as Nova still looked quite out of it.

            The blank, unrecognizing look in his direction was all Norrin needed to confirm that Nova was truly not herself. It was a shame, as between the two of them they could have ended this situation very speedily. But he would have to settle for working with the humans, and broker an escape for all of them.

            Escape out any exit didn't seem likely – as there were not only Murz' guards to contend with, but the likely great number of ill-wishers that would be gathering as a result of the earlier scuffle – so the best way out seemed to be up, through the roof.

            "To me, my board," he commanded to air, his voice somewhat lost in the shouting. Exerting his powers on the floor below the guards standing between him and Nova, the formerly solid substance seemed to melt and then solidify again, causing the guards to sink in, impeding their movements. Their weapons were dispensed with immediately afterward, surrounded briefly in green energy before starting to look like Dali watches.

            Unfortunately, he'd run out of time for fancy, precise, non-violent methods. A rather large alien barreled out of the crown from behind him, trying to get him in a headlock. He ducked under the grab, hurling the alien towards another that was charging to enter the fight. "Stay close to me!" he called out to Binary and Cyclops over the roar of the crowd.

            Cyclops carried no pistol, but then, he really didn't need one when his sight was a weapon. But with the crowds closing in, he'd resorted to his sword to keep some at bay. Nova was doubtful to follow them on their own, so a few desperate measures were called for.

            "I promise I'll make this up to you," he whispered to her before hoisting her over a shoulder, a rather undignified position, and not one Scott would ever want to be in, but even so…

            With Nova secure, the optic blasts began accompanying the sword, now switched into a broad beam, useful for knocking over groups of people all at once.

            "As much as I love knocking heads," called the forceful voice of Binary, "I hope you two heroes came up with more to this plan than bust in, grab the girl, and bust out!"

            Nova yelped in protest, but delivered a kick to an alien that had tried to grab her ankle instead of lashing out at Scott. "You're insane!"

            "It seemed like an effectively simple strategy at the time," the Surfer replied, in a tone that confused whether it was a joke or perfectly sincere.

            A silver, seven foot long projectile cut through the ceiling like a knife through hot butter, without the resultant gaping hole that one would have expected. In fact, it left no trace of its point of entry at all as it barreled towards the Surfer's side, where it impacted with the stomach of a multi-armed alien, sending him flying. The board arced up and circled the room once again before swooping down on the Surfer. He sprung onto it, rising again. From that vantage point he was quite a sitting duck to anyone in the room with a blaster, but the shots bounced ineffectively off an energy barrier created by his left hand. The vantage point also gave him a better position to fire from. Confident that anyone who qualified as innocent would have fled by now, he unleashed a forceful, sweeping blast of the power cosmic, driving a section of the crowd back away from his allies still on the ground, giving himself some room to maneuver down beside them, hovering a couple feet off the ground.

"Get on," he ordered, sending another blast into the crowd to drive them further back before dropping his shielding around the small group. "Quickly." No longer being shot at, the mob was closing in.

"Mmm, take me, Moon Doggie," Binary remarked sarcastically, springing onto the board, helping Scott get Nova and himself behind her. "Hi-ho Silver, away!" Well, who knew Carol Danvers watched Saturday morning cartoons religiously as a child?

Scott was more productive, firing covering blasts even while scrabbling to get onto the Surfer's board. "Surfer! I've got a ship tucked into an out of the way docking bay in the southern part of the city, I can lose these yokels and anyone else trying to follow us if you can get us there!"

The Starjammer was just about the fastest thing there was on four ion drives, and Scott was naturally a rather proud owner – besides, the Surfer wouldn't have to shield them all on the ship.

"Brace yourselves," he said in reply, although it was rather unnecessary as he was already applying fields to ensure they did not fall from the board. The laden surfboard rose above the crowd, then darted over it, finally arcing upwards and going through the roof, an outstretched hand altering the roof's molecular makeup to allow their passage through it.

They bore down on the south side of the city at full speed, and Norrin landed beside the ship that Cyclops indicated. Nova had gotten very quiet as they soared over the city, casting odd, unhappy glances at her abductors. Briefly, the Surfer considered the prospect that Galactus might have done something to her. Yet while the Devourer had shown no qualms about tampering with minds, it made little sense that he would do so and then dismiss her.

            "Take Nova with you," he said, having finally decided to really trust the humans. "I will follow and deter others from doing the same."

            There was a long and tactical rebuttal about sticking together and combining their forces forming on Scott's tongue, but he did realize there would be a fair number of ships quite angry that their 'prize' had been snatched from their grubby little paws, hands, claws, talons, tentacles, and most other sorts of appendages.

            Carol seemed to soften slightly in dealing with Nova. Female bonding and all that. Quickly ushering her into the cockpit as Scott sprang into the pilot's seat, his fingers flying over the controls, doing what would be called an abridged version of the abridged version of a preflight check, and the Starjammer was airborne, aiming for the stars.

            "Buckle in," encouraged Carol almost warmly. "It's a comfy chair, and no one's been killed in it this month…..yet."

            Nova followed along like a sheep, seemingly resigned to her fate. Watching this, Norrin's face darkened slightly, and he took to the sky, hovering a few hundred meters above the ship. He stayed close until a group of small ship showed up to harass the Starjammer, and then he broke off, methodically disabling them.

            The larger ships that followed proved more of a problem, the force of their weaponry actually presenting a threat to the Surfer. True, they would have been easier to deal with had he not been attempting to simply disable them. But if he had been one to use power simply because he had it, he would still be working for Galactus.

            Still, between the Starjammer and the Surfer, there were no truly large problems until they were down to the last, and largest ship. It seemed to be keeping pace with the Starjammer, and whom ever was operating the weaponry was doing a good job driving Norrin away from its vulnerable points.

            Inside the Starjammer, Nova watched the battle on a screen, still looking resigned. Until the Surfer got nailed and sent flying, seeming to have finally gotten caught in spite of his best efforts. Separated from his board, he drifted, unmoving. That, finally, seemed to break through whatever walls Nova had been stuck behind. "Oh… God… Sufer…!" Her fingers fumbled for the release of the seat's safety harness.

            Meanwhile, the other ship bore down mercilessly on the Starjammer.

            "Sit down and let me worry about him!" Scott was shouting over the noise of the sudden explosions, the laserfire concentrating on them now. Scott had thrown the ship into high throttle, and in the instant the inertial compensators needed to adjust, she likely would have been tossed into her seat as it was.

            "B, get on the cargo scoop!"

            Scott had swung around the hulk of a ship that Surfer had crippled, blasting right back into the middle of the furball, the ship shaking violently as it was assaulted. From the looks on their faces, Binary and Cyclops found this suicidal, but for what it was worth, Surfer was part of their ragtag band for right then, and Cyclops never left anyone behind.

            In a wide turn, the Surfer was collected neatly in the cargo bay, the scoop making sure he didn't wind up a dent in the floor. It was a blind jump into lightspeed that allowed them escape, and it also had Binary somewhat irked at the Captain.

            "You idiot! We could have wound up in the heart of a star somewhere!" She was shouting, and even delivered a fairly solid punch to Scott's arm. His stern glance quieted her as both knew there'd been no other way.

            He was already calculating a trip into 'quieter waters', somewhere he could hunker down and actually get his ship fixed, as he was quite sure it had been blown to heck and back again in their little 'adventure'.

            Just as she got to her feet Nova was hurled back down again by the force of the ship's sudden movement. Still a little hazy on the details of what was going on, she stayed put, seeing that the other two appeared to have things well in hand. After it was clear they'd escaped, she darted off the bridge without a word to either of them, not knowing anything for certain except that she'd have no trouble locating the cargo bay the Surfer had been caught in. She heard footsteps pelting down the corridor behind her, but didn't slow down.

            Arriving at his side, she knelt and lifted him slightly off the floor, resting his head upper body against her legs. He was still breathing, just out cold. She gently offered some of her own energies to try and rouse him. His body absorbed the energy eagerly, and he started to stir. "C'mon, Silverado. Nap time's over…"

            It was Binary who'd followed immediately. Scott hadn't followed until he was certain that they were all safe for the time being. He did arrive when the Surfer had started to stir, however, standing alongside Binary.

            "Nova? You're –" The Surfer started, but was cut off as Nova tugged him into an embrace. Gazing over her flame-draped shoulder, he saw Binary and Cyclops. Gently, he separated himself and Nova, and stood.

            Following his gaze to the pair of humans, Nova grinned at them somewhat sheepishly. "Uh… Silverado? I don't guess you'd like to tell me what's going on? Who're your new friends?"

            "Cyclops, and Binary. The 'Starjammers.'" Norrin's tone was mildly uncomfortable, and his gaze fell on her again. "They assisted me in recovering you from Mundonis. You were… Not yourself." He paused. "I do not understand how Galactus could have allowed you to remain… imprisoned."

            Nova shifted uncomfortably herself, her grin fading, and the look in her eyes threatening to go distant again. "Yeah. Well. You know how much attention the Big G pays his former heralds…" Trying to change the subject, she looked back up at Cyclops and Binary again. "Thanks for the rescue, I guess. I didn't know there were other humans roaming space…"

            "Not an intentional career move, but Earth isn't really home anymore." Scott took a few steps forward, offering a hand. "Call me Scott." He found himself sympathizing with the flame-haired woman. He'd been in the scenario when he'd lost everything he knew and loved, and left in a completely unknown world with nothing. It had been….unsettling, to say the least. Being a thirteen year old lost on the Shi'ar homeworld had hardly been fun.

            Pleased that the subject-changing had gone smoothly, Nova took Cyclops' hand and shook it, finding a small, friendly smile. "Then call me Frankie," she offered in return. Clasping her hands behind her back, she parted her lips to make more idle chatter, but was cut off by the Surfer.

            "Nova."

His tone came off as a slight admonishment for her trying to avoid the discussion. Sighing, she lowered her gaze to the floor. "He fired me, Silverado."

The Surfer took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "What happened?" he asked, the concern in his tone barely hiding the underlying urgency.

Nova explained her final, failed attempt at dissuading Galactus from devouring an inhabited world. She supposed she was lucky that Galactus had changed his mind about teaching her obedience.

"Galactus has taken another Herald. Then the rumors are true indeed."

"Rumors?"

"I had heard that he was consuming inhabited worlds again, with a renewed vigor. I had believed that you…" He trailed off, but the thought was already out there, and Nova's hurt was visible. "I am sorry, Nova."

"Forget it," she replied, not sounding in the least like it was forgotten on her end.

Norrin looked about to apologize again, and then stepped away from her, looking to Cyclops and Binary again. "I thank you again, my friends, for your aid. I must depart now, and find Galactus. This… cannot be allowed to continue."

"Hey, don't mention it," said Cyclops, waving away the gratitude. He made the requisite goodbyes, but the look on his face seemed to imply there was something working in his mind. He meant to follow the Surfer. If the World Devourer was eating planets again, there'd be a lot of people in need of a quick ride. While he'd never get them all off, he could do what he could regardless.

"You ok? You can hang around here until your 'infamy' dies down a bit." No doubt there'd be several people gunning for her, at least for a while, and a place to lay low for a time could be useful.

Nova stared slightly as the Surfer departed through the hull of the ship without a word of goodbye, and then looked back to Cyclops when he spoke. "I'm… I… I don't know. I should go after him…" she murmured, the struggle against her emotions visible on her face.

Scott's hand rested lightly on Nova's shoulder. "The offer to hang around here is still good, but somehow I get the feeling you aren't exactly the sedentary type. With that in mind, I want to ask you a favor."

"Let us follow you to where Galactus is. I have a nasty inkling that if he is going after inhabited planets again, there's going to be a lot of people needing to be somewhere else really fast. We aren't superheroes or powerhouses, but we can do what we can."

Tilting her head, Nova studied him a moment, then nodded. Galactus wasn't the type to shoot down evacuating ships, so she didn't think it'd be too insane to let them come along. Hopefully, though, if she and the Surfer confronted the Devourer, there would be no need for evacuations.

"You're brave," she said softly, "And maybe kinda crazy. But sure, you can follow me, if you really want to. Just… don't get any ideas about tryin' to get in Galactus' way, okay?"

"Crazy, sure, but I am not that crazy. Even if all I can get is a shipful of people off, that's something, which is better than the nothing we're going to get otherwise. He took a step back with a slight bow. "After you."

            The Starjammer arrived right behind Nova, but angling off for the planet just nearby. Apparently Surfer had caught him just in time. "Full burn on the engines, B, we need to get in and out quick."

            Nova made a beeline for the world ship, pleased that Galactus' numerous defenses didn't attempt to prevent her entry. She arrived at the ship's core to find the Surfer hovering in front of Galactus, speaking quietly. Another man, wielding a large axe, was on the ground at the Devourer's feet.

            "Enough, Norrin Radd. Your speeches tire me," Galactus waved his hand, driving the Surfer back a few paces. "Nova. I warned you to trouble me no more. It seems you lack gratitude as well as obedience."

            "Galactus… Please. Let me be your Herald again. I'll…"

            "I have found a truly suitable Herald. I have no need of you. Begone, both of you."

            "I will not allow this to continue, Galactus," The Surfer boldly stated, moving to Nova's side. "There is no need for this destruction, when Nova can-"

            "ENOUGH!" Galactus bellowed, rising. "Depart, my former Heralds, and do so quickly." When they made no move to comply, he murmured, "You will defy me no more."

            The last thing they saw was eyes ablaze with fury and power incomprehensible. And then, after a painful interval, they found themselves on the planet below, the onset of Galactus' feeding apparent.

            "To me, my board," the Surfer said in a weak voice. A few moments later, "My board, to me…" he sounded less certain.

            "Silverado?"

            "I… cannot sense it, Nova." His gaze turned skyward. "I cannot hear the turning of the cosmos…"

            "I guess daddy grounded us," she replied, her attempt at a pun not really as amusing as she thought it would be. "What now?"

            "Now, Nova?" He looked down at his still-silver form with disgust as the world rumbled beneath them. "It seems Galactus means for us to drift in space with the remains of this world." His eyes finally fell on her face. "I am truly sorry, Nova. Were it not for me, you would not be in this-"

            She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Forget it, Silverado. We tried to do what was right. That's all that matters…"

            The Starjammer prowled slowly through the aimlessly drifting field of lifeless rock, every last joule devoured by the eternally-hungry Galactus. Binary was at the helm, as Scott had taken to staring out at the debris with a blank gaze. Binary was almost as shaken as Scott was, never having seen such carnage.

            But it was a small glint that attracted Scott's attention in the middle of the rubble.

            "B, that over there, what are those?"

            Surfer and Nova were drifting in space, utterly still. "Change course to intercept them, B!" Scott was already on his way down to the cargo bay, aiming to reel them in.

            It was the next day that found Scott in the medical bay, watching the stars go by through the smaller port. The medical droid the previous crew of the Starjammer had used, a locust-shaped android, was busily hovering over the two patients, though admittedly even the Shi'ar database had no data on how to aid such enhanced beings.

            Scott cast a somewhat worried eye over the pair. Exactly what had Galactus done to them to make them like this?

            In the time following the planet's destruction, the Surfer had instructed Nova on a Zenn-Lavian meditation technique, not entirely certain how long their bodies would be able to survive in space with their obviously reduced powers. Periodically, he had brought himself back to consciousness to check on their situation. This time, he found it changed. They were on some ship.

            The answer of who had rescued them became clear when his gaze fell on Cyclops' back where he stood gazing out of the view port. "It seems that, again, I owe you my gratitude, Cyclops," he murmured, sliding off his bed and moving to Nova's side.

            "No need to thank me. As I recall, that was you being the only one with the stones to spit into the wind there, Surfer." That kind of risk was impressive to Scott, and gave him hope for what he was doing, as limited and small scale as his work was.

            "How are you feeling? You two were pretty close to being…well, gone when we brought you onboard. Our medical droid tried tending to you, but we're kind of at a loss for caring for former Heralds."

            He'd turned to speak to the Surfer, casting an eye towards Nova as well, checking to see if she'd come around yet.

"We are not seriously injured – our energies have simply been reduced to something infinitely lower than the medical droid was expecting. I do not believe Galactus intended our deaths. Merely to deter us from interfering with him again." He pressed his fingers methodically along the nerves in Nova's neck. "Nova. Can you hear me?"

            Slowly, she too stirred. "Sil… Silverado?"

            He placed  a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from rising. "Rest. You are safe."

            Nova raised her head a little anyway, and caught sight of Scott. She grinned tiredly. "You again? My hero."

            Scott grinned in turn, glancing toward the window slightly. "Yeah, well. I owed you for tossing you over my shoulder like a bag of flour."

            He paused, as though collecting his thoughts. "Seeing as Galactus just forced you to owe up as far as paperclips and ball-point pens you guys took home from work, more or less, I was wondering if the two of you would like to stay on the Starjammer. It's not exactly the ritziest and cleanest ship out there, and what Carol and I do is hardly battling the hordes of galactic warlords and saving all of existence, but would you two be interested in helping us keep at least a few parts of it a little nicer?"

            It had been Carol's suggestion, really. Just the two of them couldn't always do that much, and they were a bit alone, and even tended to drive each other crazy from time to time.

            There was a few moments of silence as the two former heralds exchanged a look. Finally, the Surfer allowed Nova to sit up. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I haven't got any other plans – or anywhere else to go, really. The few times I've been back to Earth, the welcome wasn't exactly open-armed… So. Sure."

            The Surfer looked less enthusiastic. "I… cannot." At Nova's surprised look, he frowned more. "I am sorry, Nova. I have… other obligations."

            "Well… then I'll go with you."

            "No. I believe it would be best if you remained here, with the Starjammers." He looked to Scott once more. "I will depart as soon as we reach a space station or space-faring colony."

            "Silverado…"

            "I would feel better, Nova, knowing that you were among friends." End of discussion, his tone said.

            "Sure."

            "Well, I suppose we'll have to sanitize a cabin for you, Frankie," Scott grinned slightly, "and I bet we can rustle up some kind of ever-so-stylish clothing with the logo on it. He stopped to glance down at the logo on his own outfit, remarking "It's not actually that bad even." The clothes might cut back on how easily she was recognized, something a bit important as she was staying on.

            "Surfer, any place or direction you'd like to be dropped off on? We don't really have anywhere to be until we can figure who's trying to screw who over, basically." They'd need to lurk in a few dives and taverns for some rumors to look into. That, and maybe even 'liberate' a few things from some slavers or other pirates.

            Nova had gone quiet again, only offering a small grin of acknowledgement to Scott's remarks about a room and clothing, just to show him she did appreciate it.

"Perhaps the Lunar Gate of Renvar VII…" he replied after a few moments thoughts. "It should not be too far. And I suspect you will find it suitable for your information gathering needs as well." He always had.

Sliding off the bed, Nova stepped past the Surfer. "All right with you if I wander around?" she asked Scott.

"Sure, go right ahead." It seemed as though things were somewhat strained between Surfer and Nova, but he wasn't good at that sort of thing, and so he was leaving that one alone.

He did get on the intercom, though, relaying the destination of the Lunar Gate.

"Just when did you pull that one out of your –"

"Just go there, B."

"All right, all right…"

Later, Scott had switched shifts on the bridge with Binary. It was actually rather nice at the moment. The only noise was the slight rumble of the ship's engines, and the Ij Nebula was coming up.

Scott seemed quite relaxed, sitting back in his seat, his feet propped up on a non-essential part of the console…..

…when Nova crept quietly onto the bridge. She stood at the rear, studying things in silence a few moments, then said, somewhat hesitantly, "I… just wanted to thank you again…"

That being said, she drifted further onto the bridge, looking over the various consoles and displays. "It's not a bad ship, for a human," she commented, trying to sound light, even though she wasn't feeling it.

"Shi'ar, actually," Scott corrected. "I….uh….I kind of…well, 'borrowed' it. From the Shi'ar military. It was a prototype of a new scoutship, which is why it's got speed on anything else out there." He grinned sheepishly back at her, generally not the stealing sort, but when he'd needed a ship, or else go back into slavery, he'd picked thievery.

"You stole a ship from the Shi'ar?" Nova grinned, approvingly. Moving down to the seat she'd been offered when she'd first come aboard, she settled on its edge, draping her hands across her knees. She seemed to be done moping over the Surfer's departure and her own reduced power-state, or at least ignoring them for now. "So… what is it you and Binary do, exactly? Other than rescue Heralds in distress, I mean."

"I keep an ear out for warlords that might be hording arms to go on conquering sprees, I listen for rumors of drug trades, slave trades – basically, for all those sorts of things, I become a thorn in their side, and shut them down. That's how we came upon you. There was big talk of a slave with great beauty and power available, and it was calling for a price that would basically make whoever sold it for life. I don't like that kind of money in hands like Murz's, and I like the idea of you being enslaved to the people he deals with even less."

Nodding, Nova relaxed back in the seat, her look growing a little more serious. As she'd suspected it would be, it was a worthwhile cause, and she was glad she'd agreed to stay. And with her ability to find things, she might even be able to make herself useful.

"I… don't know what happened, really. Galactus dismissed me, and I just… headed off into space," she murmured after a short silence. She'd wanted to talk to Norrin, but he seemed intent on avoiding her. Scott seemed friendly enough, and I she was going to be joining the crew, she might as well make a proper start with the trust thing. "I guess I was just… overwhelmed. Never really expected the Big G would… Well. To be honest. I sorta thought we were… friends…"

"Left with nothing, no purpose, in a great big universe. It is overwhelming. A long time ago, my parents were pilots. We were all flying back home to Alaska, my parents, me, and my kid brother. The plane was attacked by a Shi'ar ship for some reason, and I got taken back to the Shi'ar homeworld. I don't know what happened to the rest."

He chuckled slowly. "The Shi'ar Majestrix D'Kenn considered me useless, and tossed me out into the street. I was overwhelmed just like you were, and I just survived, really."

"Everyone always underestimates the humans…" she said softly, then more softly, added, "Sorry. About your family, I mean." The former Herald fell silent again. Survival. That was the point, wasn't it? She'd always gotten exactly what she needed before, so maybe this was life opening one door after having slammed another on her.

Gazing down at her hands, she realized she'd been absentmindedly toying with shaping a small flame in between them, and chuckled slightly. "Sorry. Nervous habit. Though… I suppose I need all the practice I can get at remembering how to use my old powers properly…"

"Maybe. But as nice it would be tactically and strategically to have someone with fire powers, I'd say you've got everything you need to do just fine." Binary had once had a sort of cosmic power herself, and lost it, and had dealt with her loss as well.

She was still quite lethal, just in different ways. Scott was a leader, despite that he didn't usually have much to command, and he knew that you could never expect more of people than what they could do.

Funny thing was, humans were highly underrated. They were easily some of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. Maybe that's why several other races wanted them to stay on Earth so much.

"I'm not too worried. I just wish – " she skipped finishing that thought. Norrin was leaving, and her concern wasn't going to stop him. He was one of the most stubborn people in the universe. "Nevermind. Hey… will you teach me how to fly the ship sometime, maybe? I've never actually had the chance before to learn. Or a reason, really." She paused. "I promise not to scratch the paint job?"

Scott grinned a bit more broadly. "And you even know how to get around my usual objections. I like you already." His face straightened slightly. "But anytime you'd like, just let me know, and I'd be happy to."

"You rock. Galactus never let me drive the ship," she replied good-humoredly, standing. "I'm going to go roaming again. I seem to have a lot of energy to burn after trying Silverado's little meditation-trick…" Giving him a small, cheery wave, she wandered off the bridge.


	2. Tactics of Warfare

            Moving slowly through space, the Starjammer hung in the shadow of a tiny moon, avoiding the sensors of the Skrull race. It was quite for now, only Carol Danvers on duty, the other occupant of the ship still asleep.

            Scott Summers, the Captain of the vessel, was resting in the arms of Morpheus. Stubble dotted across his chin and face, and a few odds and ends, such as the belt bearing a sword, dagger, and other pouches casually tossed over a chair seemed to imply that he was not exactly a neat freak.

He'd sent the Silver Surfer and Nova to go investigate some troop movements along the evacuation lines of the Kree star system Bra'din.

            The Kree weren't exactly likeable people, but refugees were refugees. There was no stopping a sun going nova. The Skrull obviously thought differently. Hence their troops movements. It made Scott suspect they might be trying to reduce the Kree population by a few billion.

            Surfer and Nova tended to work well together, hence their being sent on the mission. Scott tended to begrudge the way they partnered so well, because…well….that, but they had served the same master at one time. They knew each others strengths and weaknesses, and that was highly efficient.

            They were due back in a few hours, and so Scott had availed himself of some muchly insisted on rest. Danvers had threatened to sing lullabies over the ship's PA if he hadn't fallen asleep within the hour. Internal sensors showed a slight drop in his life signs after just fifteen minutes.

            Norrin Radd had always been a man of few words. It was hard to believe that he could have become even less verbose over the years, but he had. Once, he'd been prone to breaking his silence in order to make great, inspiring speeches. Now, however, if he broke his silence at all, it was generally only to utter a string of no more than five words at a time.

It was hard for Nova sometimes to see the man she had come to love beyond words reduced to such a state, but she well understood. Serving Galactus, and the fallout that followed it, had left numerous scars on them both, far beyond the marring of their physical appearances. And anything she had suffered was nothing compared to what the first herald had been through. After they'd lost the cosmic end of their powers, he'd sunken into a deeper level of brooding depression, seeming to give up on even his personal quest for redemption. As a result, Nova had taken on the mission of looking after him as he'd once looked after the universe. While he certainly never said it, she was sure he appreciated her continued offer of friendship in spite of the fact he'd make it clear that there would never again be anything romantic between them. And though he hadn't said a word in the past two hours, his subtle mannerisms indicated that he appreciated her light, one-sided conversation as it kept him from wandering off into the darker recesses of his own mind.

So when Norrin interrupted her humorous anecdote of the last time she and Binary had gone shopping on Tilas V, murmuring a soft, "Look," she fell silent and surveyed the monitors of the small, two-person craft. Norrin had narrowed the sensors in on the rings surrounding the system's eighth planet. Amidst the ice, dust, gas, and rock were odd, shadowed anomalies.

"Definitely not Kree… Not big enough to be a Skrull ship," Nova murmured thoughtfully. "Some kind of device, but what…?" Wordlessly, Norrin flicked the display to the system's star. Confused, the young woman stared at the dying sun, and felt her breath catch in her throat for a moment. Once, she'd more or less been a star, and in some ways, it was like watching a family member die. She thought she could feel the star's agony faintly, but that was probably just her imagination. Either that or her own feelings of loss resurfacing. Nova lowered her gaze, but only for a moment as she was suddenly struck with a realization. "That thing… it's killing the star." Norrin confirmed this with the barest of nods.

Knowing that their small ship wouldn't survive for long in the gravity of the giant world, they set in a course for the Starjammer at full speed.

"Skipper! Surfer and Nova are on their way back."

Silence.

"Captain?"

More silence.

"Scott! Wake up!"

There came the noise of someone stirring in bed over the intercom.

"Cyclops! Skrull ships coming in hot on an attack vector, 38 degrees to port!"

"Very funny."

"If you say so, but you've fulfilled the requisite 6 and a half hours the crew demanded, so I'm taking the liberty to bother you. Unless you'd like me to send Miss Raye in to rouse you?"

Yes, there was teasing in that tone. Yes, that was a muffled growl over the speaker. But it definitely sounded like he was awake.

"I'll be right there."

There was more noise of muffled growling as it sounded like he was moving around his cabin getting dressed, muttering about it. Carol could swear she heard something that sounded like changing the clocks.

"That'd be the third time this month for that, sir," she quipped. A final irritated snort came over the speaker before the noise of a hand roughly slapping the 'off' button ensued.

It would have been preferable to give Cyclops and Binary a heads-up on the situation before they arrived, but that would have risked someone picking up the signal and catching onto the Starjammer's hiding place. So Nova settled for waiting until they were face to face with the rest of their small team to make the report, Norrin looming quietly behind her. "So… that's the sitch. Silverado thinks that maybe if we can get to the device, there's a chance we could reverse the process… Whatcha think?"

"There's a chance, but with the evacuation well in progress, I'm worried more about the innocents trying to escape. Has there been any movement of the Skrull military towards the system at all? Those evacuation ships are about as fast and maneuverable as a lopsided asteroid. Every last one could be torn apart by a mere handful of light cruisers."

Scott turned to lean over one of the railings on the bridge. "I can't picture the Skrull aiming to take out a star system just to kill Kree, even by the billion. They either want something from that system, or else they're just trying to drive the Kree out in order to take possession of it themselves."

Gaining one of the Kree star systems would be a major victory for the Skrulls. It would give them more territory and resources, not to mention gaining a staging point for harassing the traffic of at least three other systems easily.

"There were a couple of scout ships along the fringe. We detected what might have been a fleet lurking in the next system, but whether it was Kree or Skrull is anyone's guess…"

"Skrull," Norrin commented, then stepped away, moving to his customary station on the bridge.

"Skrull then," Nova said, giving a cheery grin to Scott to make up for the looming storm cloud that was Norrin Radd. "So are we gonna go kick some reptilian bad-guy butt, or what?"

The visor was fixed on Nova's bright grin perhaps a moment longer than necessary, but then, it could also be chalked up to Scott thinking. "Binary, Surfer – I want you two to send a message to the Kree High Command and apprise them of what we know. They can pass us off as pirates and rogues, but that won't save their people from getting annihilated. After you do that, delay as many of that fleet as you can. The Starjammer is faster than anything out there, so take advantage of that. Harass their flanks and support vessels. See how much of the fleet you can pull after you. Every ship will keep a few more innocents alive that much longer."

Glancing back at the fiery-haired woman, perhaps the next step was obvious.

"Nova, you're with me. You're going to find exactly where that transmitter is," he stated, obviously meaning to rely on her rather uncanny ability to find whatever she was looking for, "and I'm going to blow it up."

Scott was definitely the best pilot there, and he was doling out assignments to play to his team's strengths again. Carol's smug glance tossed his way when Nova wasn't looking was mostly ignored. He wasn't doing this for his own crushes or whatever they were.

But, as turnabout was fair play….

"And if there is a scratch on the Starjammer when I get back, Carol – no allowance this week."

He'd already left for the shuttle bay before she could retort.

"Don't have too much fun without me, B, Silverado…" Nova said with a cheery wave, trotting off the bridge after Scott. She wasn't exactly looking forward to crawling back into their tiny excuse for a shuttle for another several-hour journey, but if it meant she had a shot at actually being useful, it was well worth it.

Still, she might have looked a little wistful as she gazed out the view-port during the first part of their journey. She greatly missed flying through space without being encased in a tin-can. Trying to avoid going off into a fit of her own brooding as there was someone else around, she shifted her legs, stretching a bit. "We should steal a better shuttle sometime," she remarked lightly. Nova seemed to be enjoying the 'pirate' life.

"Better in size? That'd probably mean getting a slower shuttle. Unless we can find someone willing to 'donate' something top-notch to our cause. Military issue, possibly."

Scott didn't usually go for mercenary work. But oftentimes those he wound up helping were grateful for his assistance, and would offer money, and more frequently, goods.

Scott usually preferred goods. With as much as the Starjammer got around, trading was easily done, especially in goods that some local warlord had outlawed just because he was having a tantrum at some other warlord.

But, if by any chance the Kree didn't outright ignore him for this, and an admiral happened to 'lose' a shuttle, possibly, Scott wouldn't say no.

Re-creating the flight path that Nova had taken earlier with Norrin, Scott maneuvered the shuttle from the bay easily, engaging in a hop over the neighboring star system. Just having napped, he didn't resort to sleeping for the trip, though he did suggest it to Nova.

"I'm sure you enjoy being cramped in the tin can again, but couldn't be helped," he chuckled weakly.

"Hey. If you want me to go looking for donations, boss, I'm sure I could find something fun…" Nova offered amusedly as she settled as comfortably into the seat as she could. A short nap wasn't going to be refused. "I don't mind. At least the company's more cheerful this time," she murmured, closing her eyes. "And how often do we get quality time alone? B seems to have the market, there…" she added wryly. She knew why she and Norrin generally got paired together for missions, and she didn't really mind at all.

Scott allowed himself a slight wince as she leaned back to nap. It wasn't at all like that, Binary was more like the sister he'd never had. Neither were interested in making more of things than that. But to actually tell her…..well, that was going to have to wait for another day. This definitely was not the right time, and why he could never seem to bring himself to tell her was beyond him. He'd spit in the face of death enough times, what was telling someone how he felt worse than that?

Maybe it was just the possibility that telling her might actually hurt if she told him she had no interest.

Wordlessly, he kept the small ship on course, guiding it towards the point she and Surfer had found. It was only seldom that his gaze glanced slightly to the side, sneaking a glimpse of her face from time to time, somehow finding her peaceful face an appealing sight.

Nova yawned softly when Scott nudged her out of her nap, and then tried to look awake and business-like. "I don't suppose there's a Starbucks on the radar? I could use some caffeine," she commented with a lazy grin, drawing her attention to the ship's sensors. They were just entering the Bra'din system.

Pulling up current scans of the ringed world, she narrowed her focus onto the dark anomalies. "Eeny meeny miney mo…"

"I hear there are about seven planned for this sector alone. Maybe we should introduce Starbucks to the Kree. A fitting vengeance for all they've put us through."

Scott grinned wryly, heading in the general direction they'd been in, but there was no telling where it was now, spatial drift and everything involved. It was why he'd brought her.

Though he'd be lying if he said that was the only reason he'd want her along.

"No Skrull ships detected yet. I'll keep a bit of hope it stays that way."

Their shuttle was fairly quick, but poorly armed.

Responding with a soft chuckle, Nova ran her fingers over a console, producing a seemingly random selection of coordinates. Biting her lower lips for a moment, she checked the coordinates against a display of the system. The spot selected was in a cloud that was actually quite far in the system from the ringed world where they'd seen the devices earlier, but she shrugged, her pupil-less gaze flicking to Scott. It was harder doing it this way, with a ship in between her gift and what she sought. "I… guess that's where I'm supposed to go…"

Scott didn't miss the fact that the coordinates she was indicating were not the ones they'd reported before. "Then that's where we'll head," he said definitively. He was trusting her instincts, and what she made of them. Riddling her with questions was out of the question.

"Put scanners up at maximum. I don't want to waste any seconds getting a targeting lock than I absolutely have to." Granted this would slow down the ship's response time, focusing so much on their environs, but still…

With sensor resolution flaring out, Scott found he already didn't like the picture.

"That's at least a squadron of Skrull fighters, and that ion trail means somebody saw us coming and dropped the bogies to come get us."

Calling up the fire control, Scott took command of three of the shuttle's laser cannons, and both of its torpedo launchers. The controls for the last laser cannon appeared on Nova's console.

"We're going to make for the cloud there at best speed. You see anything that looks remotely like the transmitter – blow it to hell. This could get nasty….," Scott trailed off, as though something was left unsaid.

"…so you let me worry about those fighters. Keep your eyes peeled for that probe."

When Scott didn't look in the least hesitant about where she'd pointed out, Nova relaxed a great deal and maxed up the sensors. The confidence boost seemed to last, even in the face of their sudden precarious situation, only giving him a small, curious look when he trailed off, wondering what he'd started to say. But instructions had been given, and she nodded and then grinned a bit. She wasn't too worried. Then again, she usually tried not to be.

Drawing her attention onto her own console to start looking around for her target, she remarked, trying to keep things light, "If we don't get ourselves killed before the next time we reach a civilized planet… we should _do_ something. I mean. Silverado and I get plenty of quality time, and B and I do the shopping thing… But you and me… we never just hang, y'know?"

"Yeah…"

Spending time with her was something he'd look forward to….only he didn't have the luxury of letting himself focus on it at the moment. Chalk it up to insecurities with women, or maybe even just trying to dodge the fire of a dozen Skrull starfighters right then.

Scoring a hit on the main engine array of one, and blasting the hardpoints off another, Scott frowned. "Your suggestion from before is duly noted, Nova. We are definitely getting a better shuttle."

Their combat had carried them to the edge of the cloud, and Nova still wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for.

"Oooh. Can we get fuzzy dice for the rearview, too?" Nova asked half-distractedly, instinctively firing on a ship that had crossed into her cannon's sights, not entirely certain why she'd done so until after it had exploded, illuminating the area of space around it briefly, giving a rather pretty orange glow to a small asteroid.

She knew an artificial rock when she saw one. Or, at least, she thought she did, so she took a shot at it. The shot fizzed off some kind of energy shield. "Well. I found _something_ worth blowing up…" she murmured. Of course, there was no telling how long it'd take to chip away at the shields with only one laser cannon. "Any chance of baiting one of the fighters into ramming that big rock, boss?"

Scott didn't answer her, mostly because the instruments started whining loud noises that normally meant that missiles had locked onto them. The shuttle lurched violently to starboard, just missing the artificial satellite by a distance that Scott really didn't want to know just how few decimal places they'd missed it by, actually.

"Will that work?" Scott thought he'd seen the shields on the satellite fizzle out, though he was a bit busy to be sure.

Nova didn't reply, being in the process of trying to regain her bearing after the sudden movement. She took another shot at the rock, and connected. "Beautifully," she replied at last, and then started methodically firing at the asteroid, hoping to strike a weak point and get a big bang out of it. Not surprisingly, it didn't take her long at all to hit just the right spot.

"Nice shot," Scott commented, opening his mouth to continue, only his words were lost in an explosion that rocked the small shuttlecraft.

"Guess I should have been keeping both eyes on the space-time continuum.," he noted dryly. The fact that they had slowed, and weren't maneuvering as well was obvious, but it was the arrival of several more ships that was drawing Scott's full attention.

"That's the Starjammer…,' Scott breathed in relief. "And those silhouettes behind it – those are Kree warships."

Laserfire from the Starjammer sent the Skrull fighters scrabbling away, followed by Binary hailing the shuttle.

"Hiya Skipper! Don't mind us being late, we just brought some friends is all."

Guiding the shuttle into the Starjammer's bay, Scott relaxed quite visibly.

"I think we're due for some R&R time after this mission to save the Kree from getting their collective rears handed to them. After we can find some planet that's reasonably nice without too much security….yeah, me and you will find something to do."

It was about as resolute as he'd been around her in a long time. Carol might even be proud he'd uttered the words aloud.

"Good ol' cavalry to the rescue," Nova said with a relieved grin when the Starjammer appeared with its Kree entourage.

Nova eagerly departed the little ship, stretching out properly once she was in the bay of the Starjammer. So nice to have room to move around properly.


	3. A Fun Interlude

            Roars of engines were sounding on either side of him, but Scott was focused on the light in front of him, currently red, to keep everyone in the starting lines. Nova's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist securing herself in the seat behind him.

            A quick glance to his left showed the Surfer behind the controls of his own racer, with Binary behind him. "You ready to eat our dust, Slim?" Binary was usually in the mood to be competitive. As was Scott, in their pseudo-sibling rivalry.

            "If you can manage to find any after we leave you in ours, sure."

            The course before them was filled with ambling mushroom-like creatures, giant piranha-like plants, and balls on chains that seemed more inclined to eat you than imprison you.

            A short, chubby man with a large mustache, dressed in red and blue had sprung out onto the course, explaining the rules, and features of the holographic course. Several hovering cubes appeared above the race track, which seemed to contain items to either help a racer, or impede his opponents.

            This all felt so juvenile and…well, video game-ish, but after promising to spend time with Nova, this had been her choice after their last mission. Still, Scott couldn't deny he was enjoying himself.

            Binary had managed to keep Norrin busy elsewhere, leaving Scott all to Nova, even going so far as to 'accidentally' lose them in a crowd of people boarding a ride, and then being 'unable to locate' them afterwards.

            She was likely having the time of her life knowing that Scott was flustered, being so close to Nova for so long.

            Nova was positively elated. She hadn't had the chance to play video games in what felt like eons, and cheesy or not, she was enjoying it. She was also incredibly grateful to Binary, who had persuaded the Surfer not to avoid their day of fun. A glance to where the other two sat on their own vehicle showed that there was almost a truly life-like expression on his silver face. And everyone else seemed to be having fun, too.

            The heroic-pirate life seemed to have rather nice perks.

            Leaning in closer to Scott as the lights started to shift, Nova remarked in his ear, "Watch out, boss. Silverado logged a lot of hours in the Zenn-Lavian holo-arcades as youngin'… And B seems to have brought back his competitive streak."

            "Arcade, schmarcade. This isn't some thought-controlled surfboard race." Scott had a slight grin on his face, despite the feigned flippant tone.

            "Hey Surfer! Your shoe's untied."

            Scott didn't actually expect it to work, as he hadn't even glanced at the Surfer, his nerves primed and ready, his racer kicking into motion the instant the light turned green. Being a few from the left, Scott had worked quickly to muscle his way to the inside of the track, forcing other racers to swerve into the sides and into the various creatures ambling around the course.

            He and Nova were the first ones to reach the boxes, and colliding with one gave something to Nova, though he couldn't quite see what from his vantage. It was usually her job to deal with those unless they needed to switch for him to throw things given to him.

            Nova laughed heartily, unwrapping one arm once they'd gotten their acceleration up, preparing herself for her end of the job. When they collided with the first square, she found herself with a turtle shell. It was promptly hurled at the bike that was creeping up behind them, and connected, sending the vehicle spinning off the raceway. Still looking over her shoulder, she saw Binary and Surfer taking out some of their own close competition, not really all that far behind, and gaining. "They're catchin' up, boss!"

            If that was true, then he'd need something extra. The next round of boxes were coming up, and maneuvering just a bit, Scott collided with the one that had two boxes, giving them both something. He'd wound up with a mushroom – a speed booster, if he remembered correctly. A quick glances over his shoulder told him Nova had a red shell. That one could track other racers, and the one he'd seen approaching from behind on the right seemed a good target.

            Watching Binary take out another racer, Nova had the feeling that as far as the arsenals went, there was a sort of truce between the Starjammer crew until the rest of the competition had been eliminated, so she sent the red shell after the racer that was in between them. It evaded briefly, but in the end, the shell got it.

            Between her luck and Scott's excellent driving, it didn't take too long for it to be just them and their friends at the head of the pack, most of the others having been lapped at least once by the pirate crew. In celebration, Nova wrapped her arms more tightly around Scott in a pleased hug. "B just kicked the last competition underneath one of those plants…" she reported, "It's just us and them now, boss!"

            Allowing himself only the briefest of moments to luxuriate in her affections, innocent as they were, Scott moved into his plan. "Good, so take over, and let me do the hard work for the last leg.

            Scott had been saving his speed boost for a bit now, and coming on the finish line, he intended to use it. Quickly swinging around, he allowed Nova to slide into the driver's seat. "Just keep going, whatever happens."

            Scott subtly twisted a knob on the side of his visor. Cheating? Gasp. Mister Summers. A tiny, pencil-thick beam lanced forward, angering, and gaining the attentions of a large piranha plant, which seemed intent on having them as lunch in return for the rude wake-up call.

            "Just keep going," Scott whispered to Nova again. It was a stunt crazy even for a Starjammer, but he meant to see it work. Waiting until the last moment, right up until the plant had started lunging for their racer, Scott kicked in their boost, making the car spring forward, missing the plant narrowly, making the other racers behind them swerve out of the way, killing their momentum, allowing them to coast over the finish line at their leisure.

            'Just keep going, whatever happens.' That was the kind of statement that couldn't be anything but unnerving. More unnerving was the suddenly vengeful plant. But Nova ducked her head down and floored it, keeping her eyes on the finish line that was fast approaching.

            When their vehicle finally coasted to a stop, the former Herald was still in a fit of laughter. "Cheater!" she said in mock accusation, twisting around slightly to grin at him. She didn't seem too bothered by the fact, however, looking very pleased.

            When Binary and the Surfer's vehicle coasted to a stop next to them, she broke off grinning at Scott, and slid off the bike, trotting over to the other pair.

            The cheating hadn't bothered Scott much either, it was a harmless gag in between friends. Had there been other contenders in the race a bit closer behind them, then it would have been different.

            "If I were less of a sore loser, I'dve found that funny," smirked Binary, approaching herself. "Is this finally an admission that our Fearless Leader is afraid of losing?"

            "I'd call it more of an encouragement for you to do what it takes to get what you need," grinned Scott in turn.

            "Right," smirked the blonde again, " just after I develop a mutant genome and sprout eye lasers…."

            Norrin was less amused looking, but what was new there? Assuming his semi-dark look was directed at Scott over the cheating, Nova nudged him gently with her elbow. "Admit it, Silverado," she said softly, "You enjoyed the race." His white eyes flickered to her in acknowledgment, as much of a reply as she figured she was going to get. She tucked her arm around his, giving it a slight squeeze. "Thanks for hangin' out with us today."

            Not wanting to drag it out, she released his arm and stepped away from him, moving closer to Scott and Carol again. "Next game, B, what say you and me take on the guys?"

            "I don't know. They've got most of the moodiness of the team banked between them, and with no one to show off for….I doubt they could handle it." A gentle taunt for Carol.

            Scott was surprised a bit at Surfer's somewhat nasty look tossed his way. He'd cheated a bit, but between friends…well, in Surfer's case, they were likely better classified as 'allies', that still was hardly case for a silent snarl.

            He was having doubts about being on a speeder with Norrin Radd at the moment, anyhow.

            Nova's grin broadened. "I saw a Laser Tag facility just down the way…" she remarked, then laughed. "See? I know how to pick my teammates. I'd never race against the boss, or try a shooting match against B… So what d'ya think, guys?"

            Apparently she couldn't really see Norrin and Scott sharing a speeder, either.

            Scott was game, and while Norrin tagged along, his heart seemed elsewhere, rather than defending the small base. Neither his or Scott's aim was poor, but when things amounted to Scott virtually alone….

            Things were a little quieter after that game. Even B and Nova had noticed Norrin's icier silence, and there wasn't much room for the usual whooping over winning and taunting the losers.

            "I think we've worn him out, B," Nova commented, eyeing the Surfer with a teasing grin. She could see something was bothering him, but assumed it just to be fun-overload. Or all the activity getting in the way of his brooding. Figuring it was time for a break, she suggested a quieter stroll through a merchandise-laden promenade. It didn't take too long for the Surfer to wander off, as she'd suspected he would. Not too long after that, she dragged Binary off herself, leaving Cyclops alone outside a female-oriented clothing shop to wait for them.

            That was when the Surfer reappeared, melting out of the crowd of aliens and falling into place at Scott's side. "Do you intend to pursue a relationship with Nova?" he asked in a toneless, inflectionless voice. The blunt, lengthy (for him, lately) inquiry no doubt came as a surprise.

            "I – what?!" That had come out of left field rather quickly. Did everyone know about his feelings for Nova except Nova? Naturally, he was a bit floored at the blunt question, quickly checking to make sure she wasn't around.

            But naturally, he would never ask that sort of question if she were….at least he hoped.

            "I – I…..I don't know." His shoulders slumped a bit. "God, I feel like a teenager."

            "I know you two have…history together. It's just that after you left….and started pushing her away…" It was about as clear as Scott could be. He had never been good at expressing himself. He'd had to skip a few years growing up.

            The pupil-less gaze scrutinized Scott while he spoke, and then settled somewhere in the distance as he began what was obviously a carefully considered speech. "It is because of that… history… that I advise you to consider your feelings carefully. If this is merely a passing infatuation then I suggest you do not pursue it." His tone had dipped, briefly, out of neutrality and into the realm of veiled threats before becoming neutral again, and a little quieter. "Nova is prone to… deep devotion. After Galactus' betrayal – and my own inability to return her feelings – another dismissal could be… damaging," he said, referring to the state she'd fallen into when Galactus had had her replaced. "I say this because I respect you, Cyclops. Although my feelings for Nova do not that way tend," he continued, in order to dispel any notions of jealousy, "I do care deeply for her. I could not rebuke Galactus for his treatment of her – he is an eternal cosmic entity. You are not." End of speech. Norrin fell silent again, his hopefully tactful threat having been made.

            Scott was quiet for a moment. "She's lucky to have a friend like you. I respect what you've said, and I can promise you I share your concerns." He chuckled weakly. "I think…..I think with as long as I've tried to find a way to tell her, I think I am being genuine."

            Nova was beautiful….and he was looking beyond the exotic form gifted her by Galactus. She'd never known, but her bright spirit and personality had kept him going more than a few times when things were rough.

            Would an infatuation thrive on that sort of thing?

            The sun was setting not long after that, and it made for a picturesque setting.

            "Nova – Frankie. I've been meaning to tell you something for a long time, and have just kinda been waiting to figure out how…and when I should tell you. I like you. I care about you. More than as just a friend, I mean. I, uh, I'm not really very good at this, I just wanted to tell you how I felt."

            "Short, but sweet."

            Scott's blood froze, relaxing only slightly that it was Binary behind him in what he'd thought was an empty room. The Starjammers had been relaxing in a small suite of rooms for the day, he and Norrin in one, with Carol and Frankie in the other.

            "You should lighten up, though. I know you're stuck on her, but the worst she can do is tell you she isn't interested, you get over it, and we all go on with our happy lives. Of course, I –am- speaking to Scott Summers, so the 'getting over it' part would take a long time, I suppose."

            Scott nodded mutely. He was getting advice from all sides today, it seemed. He likely needed it. He was about the last person in the world to know how to handle women.

            "I know it isn't going to be today, just tell her soon, huh Slim? I mean, treat it logically – there is the possibility she'd like a chance at something new rather than sighing over the good ole' days with the Silver Kahuna, and you're missing it by waiting like this."

            Scott nodded again, sinking into a chair as Carol turned to leave.

            "Thanks, B."


	4. Karatoth

_A small, shamless tribute to Lorne, the Host._

* * *

Binary and Nova had gone out on one of their window-shopping trips, taking their requisite time 'away from the guys', they said. Binary had found Scott and Norrin in the hangar bay still. Norrin seemed to be the soul of patience, checking out every system Scott requested, while Scott was hidden beneath the shuttle.

She'd been oddly sincere for once, suggesting they get out and go enjoy themselves. Norrin had simply declined quietly. Scott hadn't heard, or more likely, was pretending he couldn't hear them, though he was also likely in the middle of a large pile of shuttle pieces, going over every system, as there were still some homing signals trying to get out.

It might seem obvious to have Nova take a look, but Carol imagined Scott wasn't exactly in a state of mind to hang around her at the moment.

Scott wasn't brooding (much), though understandably he wasn't really going out of his way to be around Nova. He had talked to her when she had spoken to him, again, in shorter, quieter answers, but he was trying to deal with the way things were.

However, Carol was doing her part to try and alleviate the heavy tension going on, taking Nova to a club called Karatoth. She and Scott knew the owner, a rather odd alien named Loren. She and Scott had helped him out when a few thugs tried organizing into a protection racket, taking them down and turning them in.

That had allowed the fledgling club to grow into the bustling, eccentric place it was today.

Nova had been trying to make things up to Scott, but the realization had set in that there was no going back to the way things were before they'd stolen the shuttle. Binary's insisted upon shopping trip was a much needed break in the shipboard tension. And, in having B truly alone, maybe she could talk to her.

All the security at the club door was mildly amusing, but nothing could compare to the club's interior. It looked like a caricature of an Earth club. The more she studied it, the more she saw a lot of Earth style. "Am I wrong, B… Or is does a human run this place?" she asked the woman next to her as they strolled across the room towards the bar.

"You're so close, kitten, and yet you're so far away…" remarked a light voice, accompanied by arms being draped across hers and Binary's mutual shoulders. "Hey doll. Who's your _hot_ looking friend?"

Startled, Nova looked over her shoulder at the Skrull – the flamboyantly dressed Skrull, to be precise – that had draped himself between them. But Binary wasn't hurling the man across the room, so Nova gave it a minute.

Binary seemed amused, and almost as though she'd expected this. "Loren, this is Nova. Scott finally managed a successful recruitment drive. He'll probably stop by later and say hello."

"This is Loren, Nova. He's an old friend of mine and Scott's."

She even planted a slight kiss on Loren's cheek before moving for a table. "I'll have my usual, and she'll have one too." A quick glance was cast over at Nova. "Don't worry, you'll like it."

Loren returned the peck on the cheek, and then released Carol, turning to hold Nova out at arms length a moment in order to study her. Seeing her still startled expression, he laughed, gesturing at himself. "Harmless. Really. Pleasure to meet you. I'll get your drinks, and we'll dish. My lucky night." He winked and wandered off towards the bar.

Watching him depart, Nova got a slow grin on her face, and flopped down at the table with Binary, still looking shocked-and-amused. "Was that… really a Skrull?"

Carol couldn't help but laugh. "Amazingly. But I'd swear he picked up a human mind or soul somewhere along the line. He was trying to establish this club several years ago, only some local thugs were trying to form a protection racket. He'd kept refusing to pay what they asked, and they finally decided to kill him and take it anyways. They met a certain visored mutant we both happen to know that night, and that was that. Loren got his club. I met him later on down the line, but he's a good friend."

Loren returned a few minutes later with a trio of drinks balanced easily in his hands – another Earth touch, they had little umbrellas in them. Falling easily into one of the remaining chairs, her beamed at them both, then focused in on Binary. "So, girlfriend, tell me what's up, down, or… y'know. Other." He paused, taking a sip of his own drink, and nodded towards a stage at the other side of the room. "And what can I put you down for? You _are_ here to sing, aren't you?" There was only a slight hint of 'because-that's-the-only-reason-people-come-to-visit-me' in his tone, and it was mostly in jest.

Binary gave a mock disgusted groan. She'd been on the stage only rarely. She explained quickly to Nova, who wouldn't get the reference. "Loren has an unusual ability, besides snazzy fashion sense. And for a Skrull, let me tell you, that's extraordinary by itself."

A light teasing grin faded from her lips before she continued. "Loren can see glimpses of your future when he hears you sing. You put your heart and soul into it, and he can see where they might be sometime soon. He got me to sing a few times, and it's never been very interesting, though it was good to know I wasn't dead yet."

She smirked wryly to punctuate that last remark.

"What can I say, precious, you lead a dull life," Loren remarked, still beaming over the rim of his glass. He was obviously quite pleased to see Carol, and just as pleased to make a new friend in Nova. His red eyes flickered across the room briefly before returning to them. "So it's settled, then. You're both going to sing for me? Good. I'll find you a nice duet. Meanwhile, drink up. Those two are on Loren." Draining the last drops from his beverage, he stood. "This is the price I pay for stardom. Busy, busy…" Smooching Carol on the cheek again, he meandered away.

"That was… interesting," Nova said quietly, giving her drink a light sniff. "Uh… When did we agree to sing?"

"Far too soon for my liking, which would be never."

Carol chuckled quietly. "It's not actually that bad. He'll be sure to regale us with the gory details of what he saw later, and even if you're tone deaf and offkey, you'll sound better than some of the screechers that get up there. Not to mention, we'll never see any of these people again."

Somewhat in a devil-may-care attitude, Carol rose, headed for the stage, clearly expecting Nova to follow.

The head bouncer started into a patented Mean Scowl routine at the rough-looking figure approaching, half-hidden in shadows. The green, scaly face broke into a broad, toothy grin when he recognized the telltale visor and emblem on the man's chest.

"Guess I can start feeling safe after all, Cyke. You ain't grown another foot since I saw you last."

Scott smiled a bit good-naturedly, remembering the bouncer from many years ago, he'd been with Loren from the start. "I'm not a teenager anymore either, Ch'od. Humans aren't exactly plants."

A few more pleasant exchanges later, Scott was allowed in. A few waitresses who'd been around tossed Scott a few 'warm' smiles, despite having tried for years to make him melt like putty in their hands, only to be rebuffed.

There was an alien act finishing up on the stage, and it seemed there was supposedly some big duet coming up next.

Introducing Nova and Binary on the stage, Loren's keen eyes picked out the missing member of the small group. After he handed over the microphone to Carol, he stepped down off the stage, making for 'his' table in the back, a little away from everyone, catching Scott's eye and inviting him over with a gesture.

Meanwhile, Nova and Binary were started making their way through an almost ancient number from Earth. They didn't sound that bad, once Nova started to relax and the tension dropped out of her voice. As Carol had said, they'd never see any of these people again…

Quirking a wry grin up at the stage, and Nova in particular, Scott settled into the table Loren had. Maybe talking with Loren might help. He was trying to get back into the routine of things, only it was difficult. He'd never cared about anyone the way he cared about Frankie before.

"How's the club going? I see you managed to talk B into singing again. I'm impressed." Scott himself had sang on the stage only once, and Loren had told him that he had seen one thing – that Scott couldn't do what he was doing alone. He needed friends.

"For a universe that's not so fond of humans… Everyone's a sucker for a little Earth razzle-dazzle in disguise…" he said with a chuckle. His eyes were on the stage, but Loren was more than capable of dividing his attentions. Slouching in his seat a little, he motioned towards the bar, signaling for a refill on his drink, and for his companion to be waited on. "Ah. My darling kitten Carol. She didn't put up near as much of a fight this time…" Loren chuckled, folding his hands on the edge of the table. "Meanwhile, you seem to have done well for yourself, Scotty my friend. Where, pray tell, did you pick up the gorgeous redhead?" Lorne grinned a bit wickedly. "Nevermind, I'm sure it will come out when you sing for me…"

"She's actually a former Herald of Galactus. And..uh…I kinda didn't exactly pick that one up." He launched into a tale of how he'd met the Surfer and Nova, and left out a few things, though Loren had been around enough that he'd likely pick up on it. Despite that Frankie had shot him down thoroughly, his feelings weren't as easily changed as though turning lights on and off. He'd just have to adjust to being around her. He didn't want to have to treat her solely like a teammate, but maybe that was the best approach until he could get a grip on himself.

"Keep swinging, slugger. You're nowhere near the ninth," Loren advised with a brief wink towards Scott before his eyes moved back to the stage. As a rule, he wasn't in the habit of sharing anything he saw when a person was singing with anyone else. But this was young, human love, and it was so sweet… In the next few moments, a waiter brought over another umbrella drink for the host, and took an order from Scott. When the waiter had walked away again, Loren nodded to the women. "Visit more often, Scotty," he said seriously, "This is a nice break on the ol' eardrums."

Scott exhaled. "Maybe. It's just readjusting in the meantime that takes time and effort." He'd have to, though. He couldn't keep alienating Frankie like he had been. He'd try asking for her help in finding the homing devices. Norrin would undoubtedly love the break after the way he'd been acting over the past couple days.

"I'll try to. I know B loves the club. Neither of us are really at home on Earth anymore, and I don't think Nova is either. But it's nice to see a piece of it way out here, though," he grinned.

"Scotty - Someday, I'm going to marry that woman… It breaks my heart when you keep her away." Loren said with a smirk, obviously admiring Binary, and most likely in jest. He let the sentiment trail off as the waiter reappeared with Scott's drink.

Chatter was fairly neutral from there until the end of the song, when Loren said teasingly, "So how about it, my pirate friend… going to get up there and assail my ears one last time before you take your little harem there back out into the void?"

Binary was on her way back out to the club's main floor with Nova, stopping by Loren's table again. "So where did Fearless Leader run off to?" She trailed off as a few music notes started playing.

"You let him sing again, didn't you? Dear God in heaven, save us all…."

She was mostly kidding, though. She hadn't been here the time Scott had sang before, though the very thought was amusing.

She settled into a chair alongside Loren, gesturing for Nova to do the same. "Sit down and enjoy the show. You probably won't see Scott sing again in this lifetime or the next."

Nova was torn between grinning at the thought of Scott singing and feeling guilty all over again for what had happened between them the other day. Settling in the chair on Loren's other side, she bit her lip figuring she could do both. She still hadn't gotten those precious few minutes to talk to Binary. She was starting to think she wasn't going to.

As Cyclops started to sing, Loren let his gaze slide from Scott to his fiery audience, doing a bit of channel surfing, so to speak.

"Well, he's no Sinatra, but he isn't bad," grinned Binary. Scott had selected the more classical tune 'Witchcraft' to sing along to, and was making a reasonable effort at it. He apparently knew the general advice Carol had given Nova, that it was likely no one here would ever see him again, and to have fun.

"You ok there, Frankie?" Carol could see the indecision written across Nova's face, and they hadn't really gotten the chance to talk about anything at all. Being the only other woman on board, they had to rely on each other for 'girl talk'.

Loren's eyes quickly flickered back to the stage, and the Skrull looked positively riveted, giving them a little privacy, if only for appearance's sake. Nova either bought it or figured she had nothing to loose as she'd already bared her soul to the alien, as she said quietly, "I… hurt the boss' feelings without meaning to, B… I'm not quite sure how to make it up to him…"

Binary shook her head. "Don't try to. He told me what happened, and as you might expect, he's a bit sore over getting shot down after pouring his heart out to you. That's natural. But I will tell you this – he'd rather hear your honesty than find out you'd tried telling him what he wanted to hear in some form of obligation…or 'making it up to him', as you say. Just give him some time. He'll come around."

Carol winced slightly. She knew all too well how it felt to find you'd been living a lie. After becoming a playtoy for the son of a god, and tossed aside when he'd grown bored with her….she was glad Frankie had told him the truth. She didn't love Scott Summers that way, but he'd been her friend when no one else would be, and she didn't want to see him get hurt.

"I…" Nova trailed off and sighed. She hadn't meant for what she'd said to be an absolute-and-final-no-way-in-hell sort of thing. Just that he'd caught her by surprise.

"My sweetcakes there has the right idea," Lorne said, his red eyes sliding away from the stage again to fall on the fiery young redhead. "Give it time." He paused, and leaned in a little closer, putting his hand on her arm. "Gold star for speaking your mind, kiddo. Not so gold on the speaking your heart. You know that thing you were searching for? Well you've found it, not lost it, I can tell you that much. So put those worries out of your head, okay? There's a good girl."

Nova stared slightly at him as he leaned back into his seat comfortably watching Scott once more, and then looked at Binary for a moment, a confused and somewhat startled expression on her face for a few seconds before she let her eyes wander back towards the stage.

Smirking slightly, Lorne leaned towards Binary. "I can give you yours now or later, kitten. Later, maybe? In the back room after we close?" The Skrull winked, once again teasing.

"You'd have to wrangle a three-day pass outta the would-be Twinkletoes up there." Carol smirked. She could tease too. And tease or no, that would be about as feasible as convincing Galactus to give Nova and Surfer their powers back.

Scott had finished his song, and left the stage. He didn't garner much applause, not that he expected much, mostly a favor for his friend, and maybe for himself, able to let go for just those few moments.

"I'll have my bouncer haul him into lockup for three days, if that's what it takes." The alien leaned in a lot closer to the blonde, murmuring, "When you're finally ready to make the trip, sweetcakes, you'll be welcome. So don't let anything stop you." He left it vague – one of the problems with being prescient was that one had to be careful not to give too much information. He knew that she'd figure it out on her own.

Loren applauded good-naturedly as Scott approached the table. "Bravo, bravo – Next time, a trio, how 'bout it?" The Skrull raised his glass in a sort of toast to the three humans at his table. For a moment, he had an almost sad look in his eyes, but he brushed it away. He'd seen things he couldn't tell them. And for once, he'd seen a little of himself. "So how long are you crazy kids hanging around here?"

"Can't hang around, I'm afraid. Or rather, we shouldn't. We just….ah….acquired some hardware that's a wee bit hot, and certain Kree officials would not take kindly to hearing we were here."

As though collecting himself with a bit of effort, he paused. "Nova, I was wondering if you could help me find those homing signals. I think I've been wallowing around down there long enough." He lips curved in a slightly self-effacing smile.

Unlike most Skrull would, Loren didn't gloat over the Kree's loss. He just grinned and remarked, "Yo ho ho, a pirate's life for… Well, not me, but you kids have at it. Far be it from my needs to stand in the way of carting off hot merchandise…"

Nova, on the other hand, still looked a little pensive, and started slightly when she was spoken to by Scott. "Huh?" she asked, fixing her gaze on Scott, belatedly processing the request. "Oh. Sure, boss! No problem," she said, smiling a bit sheepishly at her distraction. Maybe she could do a little something with Loren's advice.

"Well, B, don't let the silver-tongued Skrull keep you too long. We should be underway in a few hours. Loren, I'll see you as soon as I can shake the heat off my back," he smiled faintly. Loren was a friend, despite the fact that all facts might suggest guys like he and Loren would never get along.

"No worries, Skipper. I don't want to become an accomplice, so I won't hold her up… for long."

Somewhat struck by spontaneity, Nova gave the alien a small hug of gratitude. "It was nice meeting you, Loren," she said softly. "And thanks."

"Just make sure that captain of yours remembers he promised to visit, and we'll call it even," the Skrull said with a grin.

"Deal," Nova replied, and left the club with Scott.


	5. Hot New Wheels

            The small shuttle currently servicing the Starjammer was on its way to the planet Fubasi, where a test for a Kree military prototype was being conducted. Nestled into the pilot's chair was Scott Summers, captain of the Starjammers.

            He'd brought along Nova for the mission. She was a good teammate to have in the field – bright, quick, and resourceful. Having flame powers wasn't exactly a drawback either.

            But furthermore, he'd promised Binary that he'd cut back on the tension level flitting around the ship and tell her about the feelings he'd developed for her on the way back from this mission.

            Nervous as he was, it at least seemed to feel good that he was going to be able to get it out for once.

            Nova almost felt kind of bad that the little sardine can of a shuttle they were in was about to be replaced. It had served them well, in spite of its other failings. Still, she couldn't feel too bad, if the Kree scout ship they were after was everything that rumor said it was.

            She'd been faintly surprised that Cyclops had invited her along for the mission, things being how they had been. But then again, she shouldn't be too surprised – locating the shuttle fast would be the name of the game, and who better to do that than the psychic-bloodhound, so to speak?

            "It's going to need a name… You just _know_ the Kree named it something sucky…"

            "Undoubtedly something praising their Supreme Intelligence or whatever it is they worship in their spare time," Scott quipped, quirking a wry grin. He didn't have too much time to spare for chatter, however, rather absorbed in piloting the shuttle. He was trying his best to ride the atmospheric currents down to the surface as best he could, relying on the engines as little as possible.

            Made them harder to detect that way.

            Settling down a fair ways from the base near the test site, they were going to hike the rest of the way in, and the plan was to snatch the shuttle and get out as fast as possible before anything could react.

            Well… he'd made a joke. That was encouraging. She grinned back, not that he had time to look.

            As the shuttle touched down, Nova scooted to the back to snatch up the small backpack of supplies they'd brought, mostly remotely triggered explosives in the event they needed a diversion. She liked carrying the backpack. It made her feel important.

            They'd planned fairly well for a ten kilometer hike. It was supposed to take no more than a few hours, which would allow the planet's distant star to set. Temperatures here were a bit cooler than those they might be used to, being from Earth, but they should be out long before they would need any kind of insulating clothing for protection.

            Splitting up only briefly, he had Nova scout a bit of the base's perimeter, while he went the other way. It would provide crucial evidence they would need to be able to get in easily.

            For someone that had once spent most of her spare time roller-blading in Central Park, the hike towards the base, need for stealth aside, was something she greatly enjoyed after being space bound for so long. Creeping around the edge of the base was slightly thrilling as well, in the watched-too-many-spy-shows-as-a-kid sense. She even amused herself by concealing a small set of explosives at what looked to be a good spot. Still, she was greatly relieved when she met up with Scott again. "The main guardpost was on my side," she murmured, a slight grin playing at the corner of her lips.

            She was grinning in a way that managed to be both charming and devious. Just what had she done? He supposed he would find out. He trusted her enough to think she'd do what was best. Maybe she found a way to blind the guard.

            Having a seat, Scott motioned for her to do the same. He was waiting for the last remnants of daylight to sink below the horizon. He was certain the Kree would be very similar to humans, and the guards that were guarding the wall would be anxious to be doing what most of the guard was likely doing at this hour – having fun.

            Only when it was completely dark did he rise, offering her a hand up. "Ready?" This was it.

            Nova settled next to him, watching the sun set. If they weren't about to raid a military base, blow stuff up, and steal a ship, it might have been romantic. Nova's thoughts were elsewhere, however, on the stars starting to show in the darkening sky. When the last traces of sunlight were gone over the horizon, Scott stirred, and she looked up at him. "You betcha, boss," she said, taking his hand up. Yes, the pirate life and she had taken to each other. It was certainly more pleasant than working for the Big G.

            Idle thoughts of relaxing somewhere watching the sun set with Nova curled against him never had much room to surface. Scott was busy watching the base. He was taking down how often they patrolled various parts of the perimeter, and tried to get a feel for how often the guard was changed.

            He'd even thought he had identified the hangar where the shuttle was being kept. It was just a matter of getting there.

            Waiting for the right moment, he advanced on the base's perimeter, motioning for Nova to follow.

            Nova double-checked her fiery-mane-concealing insulated hood as she crept after Scott, figuring to take over at least slightly the leading-the-way once he'd gotten them through the perimeter. He was better at that sort of thing. Planning ahead had never been her strong suit, her natural gift for finding things only encouraging her to move through life in a haphazard, driftwood-like manner.

            It wasn't getting in that had been hard, it was getting into the hangar for the shuttle that would be hard. Naturally, there were a few guards around it, and the only surefire way Scott had to incapacitate them would made far too much noise and light.

            The explosives…but how to get them far enough away to draw attention from the hangar? A glance was directed back towards Nova, almost as though to ask if she had ideas. He'd rather not split up just now, but if he had to…

            Slipping through the shadows of the military base, the former herald was greatly pleased by the hood the crew had come up with for her. While she'd never pass for completely normal, being able to move around without looking like a walking torch was nice sometimes. Just sometimes, though. She wasn't ashamed of who she was, in spite or perhaps because of everything.

Nova caught his glance and made a gesture with her hands, asking if he wanted something to go boom right about then, nudging the backpack a little to show the load had been lightened already.

So she had planned a surprise. It brought a mildly sadistic grin to Scott's face, trying to convey the message – whenever you're ready. There were three guards around the shuttle hangar. Two guarded the big main doors, while another guarded a smaller side door. They tended to rotate around, but with the blast, they might forget, and Scott could use his powers to knock the side door guard out, allowing them in and a few minutes peace.

Nova tugged out the transmitter, motioning for him to take a bit of cover. Once he had, she keyed something in, and a few heartbeats later an explosion was heard, something propelled into the sky above the eastern side of the base where it went off like fireworks. She'd found a piece of the original fence, half buried in the ground, its hollowed inside wide enough to slip in a few pieces of explosives. She'd hoped it would look like someone was firing on the base, thus driving the guards towards the perimeter, unaware that the enemy was already inside. It was all about buying time.

The initial explosion was followed a few seconds later by a more grounded one near the guard post, and that one was followed a several seconds later by a third.

It was brilliant. Scott could have kissed her for it….if not for the whole nervous bit around her and all (not to mention it might seem awkward at the time as well).

Moving quickly, the side door guard had only just seen him coming when a quick blast to his head knocked him out. Waving Nova over, he got the door open with the guard's passcard, and the two of them dragged the limp Kree inside.

The shuttle was the next obstacle. "You've already scored ten out of ten, I'd say, but I don't suppose you either read Kree or could find the right buttons with your powers?"

A weak joke. Scott could pick out what he needed, mostly.

The shuttle was sleek and luxurious compared to their old one. Not being crammed in like sardines was another plus. "How about giving the weapons a field test on the hangar door there? I think the blue ones in front of you operate them."

"I do read Kree," she murmured very quietly after a few moments of looking uncomfortable. "Or, at least… I used to be able to…" Time was the name of the game right now, though, so she moved to the console, hoping the knowledge was still there… somewhere. She'd always had a natural affinity for languages, so she was hoping it was.

Dropping into the seat without further comment, she eyed the console, inhaled softly to relax herself, and then ran her fingers across the buttons. The hanger door was blasted off its hinges, and then some. "Yeah. I can sort of understand the labels," she said with a sigh that sounded both relieved and bothered at the same time.

Noting the annoyance in her voice, Scott tried easing that away. "I'd say your command of the Kree language is good enough," he grinned slightly. Lifting off, the shuttle bumped the hangar's roof briefly before lurching forward.

"Sorry 'bout that," Scott chuckled, looking halfway apologetic.

But the shuttle was soon roaring up through the atmosphere after that, the base still showing signs of chaos. Maybe they'd get a good enough head start to avoid any big cruisers.

Glancing at Scott, she reminded herself not to brood. That was Norrin's department, after all. She was the Raye of sunshine. Or was supposed to be. "Tsk tsk. Betcha scratched the paint. The captain's not gonna like that," she remarked, nudging her voice back towards the cheerful end of things.

Leaving the flying to him, she eyed the console, looking over the other controls, trying to get the sensors and other support systems on and ready as they'd likely need them soon.

"Knew our luck wouldn't hold. Well, let's see if your brilliant execution in the field will inspire my piloting." He tossed an encouraging grin her way. A Kree war cruiser was coming around the curve of the planet, and quickly. Scott had naturally headed the other way as fast as he could, but the cruiser's engines made it so much faster than the shuttle. He'd have to lose them somehow.

"No worries, boss. Fate is on our side… this little baby was meant to be ours." Nova patted the console, chuckling slightly and then focused on the scans of the system. "It's a bit out of the way," she said after a few moments, lightly tapping the screen midway between them. "But what do you think about trying to ditch them in this anomaly field?"

Scott couldn't help but grin at her claiming the shuttle as theirs already. "The anomaly field certainly beats trying to shoot it out or get blown up." Casting a slight glance at the field, the words were more like Greek to him this time.

"Don't suppose you can help out the Kree-illiterate Captain and tell me what kinds of anomalies those are?"

"Can't blow us up. Want their ship back in one piece. It says Morak. I know. Doesn't help." she replied, further studying the console and taking a moment to make the readings more elaborate. "Uhm… It looks like the last remains of a nebula that drifted into this system's gravity after picking up some space dust on the way… Pockets of dense plasma, probably some gravitational and magnetic fields there that you don't want to get close to… Man. I should have paid more attention in high school science…"

"Well, I'm sure they'd rather blow us up than the possibility of losing something fresh off the R&D line to Skrull, Shi'ar, or whoever they've honked off. Namely everyone."

He eyed the display she was trying to make sense of, though. "That looks nasty. Kinda fun, too. I mean, hey, if we run into ship-destroying gravitational fields, stellar matter fragments, and so on, I can say I've died in the best of company, right?"

He smiled weakly. Maybe he could work up into telling her….though he had to survive first. It prompted an unexplained chuckle from him – if he died, he wouldn't have to, huh?

Changing the shuttle's course, he roared off towards the nebula cloud.

"Please. No one can outfly you, boss," she said, repaying the compliment with a natural ease.

Tilting her head, Nova studied him, grinning. Maybe the him-being-avoidant had been her imagination. Aside from the trying-to-escape stress, he seemed perfectly fine. Good, then. All was well. "'Cept maybe Norrin," she added teasingly. "If B manages to push him the rest of the way out of his shell…"

Cyclops tossed her a wry smirk just before entering the nebula field. "We'll see about that."

After that, he quieted, trying to focus. The advanced sensors on the shuttle seemed to give them limited visibility in this area where they were normally blind. Maybe they had a decent chance after all.

"Keep trying to find the other ship when you can, and maybe give me a ballpark figure on how far they are. I don't think these sensors, as good as they are, are –that- good."

If they followed them in, they'd be near home free, just find a nice exit point and head home.

Nova settled down, keeping conversation to giving reports every time she'd adjusted the sensors enough to see the other ship in spite of the local interference. It seemed to be hanging at the edge of the field, getting discouraged about their attempts to pursue the escaping vessel. "The don't seem to be able to follow, boss..."

Scott had begun moving to the far side of the nebula. "Any sign of pursuit?" He didn't want to hop out of the cover they had only to run into a new ship out for their death.

He was taking it easy on the controls, trying not to excite any anomalies into becoming disasters.

Flicking to a more wide view, she picked up a couple of ships, but they were still a good ways away, and she remarked as much. "If we jet once we're out, they shouldn't be able to catch up."

Clearing the last of the anomalies, Scott pulled the throttle all the way back. A few fighters were making chase, just coming around the curvature of the gas cloud.

"Keep those lasers ready," he added, "but I think we give them some test results on how well their engines work," he grinned slightly.

The shuttle was able to leave the fighters far behind easily enough, making a few hyperspace jumps had them throwing off pursuit and on the way back to Starjammer.

Of course, the fact that they had succeeded meant something else.

"Frankie, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…"

So used to being called 'Nova', she looked slightly startled by the sudden turn to 'Frankie' in spite of the fact that it had been a long time since she'd already offered up her real name for use, though a large part of it came from the informality of it, so quickly on the heels of their tense ship theft.

"Uh… Ok?" she replied, double checking the sensors before powering down the weapons a bit as they weren't all that crucial at the moment.

Feeling a slight tingle in his cheeks, he figured they'd likely be as red as his visor before this all was over and done.

"Ever since you've joined the crew, you've been a vital part of the team, both for your skills, and for keeping everyone from being perpetually gloomy…" Scott paused, admonishing himself for speaking as a leader, and not as the man he was supposed to be.

"I've always thought of you as a friend, but over the past few months, I've….thought of you as more than that. I care….I…have feelings for you." The word 'love' had risen, and tried to get out, only he doubted it came out as anything intelligible.

Being of a rather unique upbringing, cast out into space barely a teenager, Scott had missed the whole 'talk' that most fathers or mentors tried giving their sons or charges. The life he'd led never allowed him the luxury of caring for someone like he did Nova, and he felt about as cool and smooth as a newborn foal, tripping over his own feet.

As he'd put it to Norrin – he felt like a teenager all over again. Well, like he had before the whole captured by aliens thing.

"Oh…" Nova's gaze flickered to the forward screens again. It wasn't really a bad kind of 'oh'… it was more of the never-saw-this-coming-from-a-million-miles-away sort of 'oh'. She was quiet for a minute, mostly due to the fact that her thoughts were quiet, too, and she wasn't sure what to make of them. Then, slowly, she murmured, "Scott? I… like you too, and all… it's just…" Nova sighed, drawing her feet up onto the edge of the seat, and wrapping her arms around her knees. "It's just, I've never thought about you that way. You bein' the captain and all. Guess I've tried not to think that way at all since…" Since Galactus had dumped her and the Surfer had pushed her away? She assumed that was self explanatory. She fell silent, not wanting to insult him by implying she was afraid he'd ditch her in the end, too.

Scott nodded mutely. This was as bad as it could get, as Binary had said, but at least it was out. "I understand," he finally said.

He didn't say much of anything else on the way back.

It was only as they pulled into the docking bay that he broke his silence. "B, we got the new ship, but set up several dampening fields and shields here in the bay. I want to go through every system and subsystem to make sure we aren't sitting on something crawling with tracking devices. Send Norrin down, I could use his help on that."

That kind of work would take days. And with the silent Norrin Radd for company, he wouldn't have to think about….well, anyhow.


	6. We Want Our Ship Back

"Nova! Frankie!" Two people were looming over the prone form of Frankie Raye. Binary, also known as Carol Danvers, and Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfer. They were on the bridge of the Starjammer, and things seemed very wrong.

Nova had been unconscious, with Norrin and Carol just having brought her around, although Scott was nowhere to be seen.

The bridge itself was a wreck. Consoles were blown out, a support beam was sticking through the wall, having burst in from another room, and the ship seemed as though its pitch was off, listing to one side. Asteroids swirled erratically around the viewscreen.

Carol did not at all look happy, even though it was obvious Nova was all right.

Leaving Norrin to help her up, she'd stalked back to one of the few remaining panels, glancing over a few things before moving for the door, something about a stupid idiot being muttered somewhat furiously. "When you two are able, gimme a hand down in the engine room, we've gotta get moving ASAP."

"What the hell happened, B?"

Scott Summers had stormed onto the bridge, lurching with the ship, peppered brutally by Kree laser cannons.

"They came out of lightspeed right on top of us and opened up! That shuttle must've been leaking a signal this whole time!"

"How do our engines stand?"

"Fifty percent of maximum – they opened fire on them immediately."

Norrin Radd was watching the displays carefully, reporting status changes quickly, despite his usual silence.

"I took us into an asteroid field for some cover, but they're sending fighters in after us, Slim."

"What're those objects heading for us?" Scott was watching a pair of pods move towards the aft hull.

"There are lifeforms aboard. They are hull breaching pods."

Scott was out the door instantly, Binary and Nova behind him. The firefight was brutal and intense, and Nova was hit, rendering her unconscious.

Perhaps she would have vague memories of Scott and Binary yelling, a door slamming shut, and Binary yelling again, nearly howling in something akin to both anguish and fury.

* * *

Nova came to slowly, cursing her fragile physiology. Or her bad luck, either way. "Anyone get the number of that truck…?" she murmured weakly, forcing her eyes open… and then closing them again as the room was spinning. Leaving her eyes closed, she sat up a bit, propping herself on one elbow. Her last few minutes of consciousness were a blur, but she remembered the screaming, and forced her eyes open. "Hello?"

"It is good to see that you are awake again. You were injured during the battle, though not too seriously. Your body retains some of its durability that Galactus granted it – that shot would have killed a regular human, and perhaps even most mutants."

Norrin Radd was working calmly at one of the few remaining bridge stations, apparently coordinating with Binary, down in the engine room, on what systems were on top of the priority list, and running diagnostics to determine the problems with them.

"Then I guess I won't mope too much over getting my butt kicked," she said, somewhat crankily. "What did I miss during nappy time, Silverado? Did we win?"

Pacing herself, Nova worked her way to her feet a bit at a time, surveying the chaos that was the bridge. Things didn't look too good.

"The Kree attacked us. We believe they were somehow able to trace the shuttle here. They boarded the ship. We repelled them for a time, but more were on the way. Cyclops….removed the shuttle, drawing them away."

Scott had boarded the shuttle and shot his way out, even staging a few explosions to make the Starjammer look as though it was gone. He'd have to make a good 'fox', though, if he wanted to draw the 'hounds' far away from the nearly crippled ship.

Where he and the Kree had all gone was a mystery though. The ion trail was present, but dissipating.

"He would…" Nova said with a sigh. Her intended, Loren-inspired second conversation had never had the chance to take place. And now maybe it never would.

No sense in thinking like that.

"What can I do to help, Silverado?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps assisting Binary in the engine room. I believe I can handle all the necessary tasks here. I also believe Binary could use someone to assist in calming her down. Her tone is full of anger, she resents Scott taking on the risk solely onto himself, which drives her to hasten repairs."

And indeed Binary was pissed, storming around the engine room darkly, trying to get the critical systems back up so they could follow Scott's trail.

Nova nodded, and made her way down to the engine room. "B?" she called softly at the doorway, scanning the room's various niches for the other woman. It was mostly to announce her presence. The woman did look steamed. And that was an understatement. Moving across the room and surveying that damage too, she said, "Silverado sent me down to help with repairs, now that I finally got my butt out of bed… What can I do?"

"You can help me find Scott's common sense. He's lost his." She slammed the panel where she'd been working shut perhaps a bit too hard, rising. She took a deep breath. "I figure Norrin's told you how I was down here blowing my stack, and I was, but I've calmed down…..mostly. I think I'm just worried now. Scott just did what the rest of us would do in his place."

She started moving for the heavier engine parts, though making a stop in the storage room to collect some heavy lifting equipment. "Norrin says I've gotten all of the fused circuits in the systems we'll need to get going, but there are some ruptured conduits and cylinders in the power and cooling systems we'll have to fix."

Looking a bit relieved that Binary wasn't quite as extreme as the Surfer had made her out to be, Nova moved to help the other woman shift things around. "He'll be okay, B…" she said softly after a while. "I mean… Loren would had to have seen it coming if he wouldn't be, right? And I'm sure he would have said something… He seemed pretty hooked on the fact that we should drag the boss back to Karatoth soon, so…" It was the most concrete thing she had to offer. It sounded a little better to her than 'he'll be all right because he has to be', anyway.

Binary just stopped, exhaling again. "Loren can't always see everything, and I'm still not sure the future is so set in stone….it's just nice to have hope sometimes."

With that, she worked in silence, just trying to finish as quickly as she could.

Roughly three hours later, she was back on the bridge. She seemed to have a bit of the edge taken off her temper seeing that Norrin had not been idle either, repairing a few consoles and routing the major functions through them.

"Still got a trace on their ion trails?"

Suddenly, Carol swung around, fixing Nova in an intent stare. "Or maybe you have a more direct path?"

Nova nodded slightly. "I can put us in the right direction, but if he's still moving around…" It would take them a while to find him, though she supposed it would either way. Moving to the console Norrin had repaired for piloting, she leaned against it, closing her eyes, trying to get her cosmic bearings, so to speak.

She was hesitant at first, but after about a minute, she swung the ship around several degrees. It was a markedly different direction than the ion trail. Her eyes flickered open.

* * *

Coming upon a planet several hours later showed definite promise. There was a Kree warship in orbit on the far side of the planet.

"They do not seem to have noticed us yet," intoned the neutral voice of Norrin Radd.

"Take us down quickly, Nova, I don't want that changing." Binary scowled. The sensor reports were already coming up. Near where the warship was, a shuttle had gone down a bit violently, cutting a large swath through the trees. There were several smaller Kree fighters parked near it. The shuttle seemed intact, though it's engines were fairly damaged, and it was unlikely that it still had the power to escape the atmosphere, let alone outfly anything.

Binary eyed the arrangement carefully with a scrutinizing eye. "He's still alive, and they had to go after him on foot." That was the only reason for those fighters to be there at all.

Taking the ship down and settling it where nearby ore deposits would help to conceal it from orbital sensors, Nova exhaled softly, reminding herself not to worry. Scott would be fine, and, in short order, would be on the ship again. "I should go search for him… You two should keep the ship running and ready for us," she offered. She was the only one who could still fly, after all, and that coupled with her ability to find things seemed to make her the best candidate for getting them in and out quickly.

Binary studied her a moment. She clearly didn't like the idea of her going out by herself, but Nova was right. She and Norrin would just slow her down.

"See you when you get back."

There was a definitive tone that she expected nothing less.

Nova gave a quick salute and a reassuring grin as she sprinted off the bridge, stopping only to grab a backpack with some first aid gear – just in case – and some explosives, also just in case.

Giving herself a moment outside the ship to get her bearings again, she sprung into the air, moving up as high as the atmosphere would allow her to safely burn to minimize her risk of being seen by those on the ground. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" she murmured, scanning for signs of Scott.

Scott Summers was roused to find he was still stretched against the same tree, his arms painfully stretched behind him, bound to the trunk. He'd gone on foot ever since the Kree had shot down the shuttle in the forest.

They'd caught him late in the day yesterday. They's already found about his power, and their computers had deduced the usage of ruby quartz to keep it in check, which explained the headset locked over his eyes.

After a meeting via holocom with their mothership, they'd began questioning him about what he'd done with the communications module. After insisting he figured it should have been in the shuttle, they got a bit more rough.

He'd pieced together the communications module had some kind of backup system for some important military documents, and they weren't so much concerned about getting the shuttle back as they were about protecting their secrets.

It had been a few hours ago that he recalled pulling it out on the Starjammer for analysis.

Angered, they hadn't believed him.

"You idiots blew your damned secrets to hell when you took out Starjammer!"

The Captain of the Kree squad hadn't liked Scott's show of insolence, which had yielded the sharp blow to Scott's head, rendering him unconscious.

Skip to his waking up just now.

The Kree, upon finding he was awake, was apparently at the end of his rope.

Scott found a handful of his hair seized and yanked back, a sharp blade pressing against his throat.

"This is your last chance, Terran. What have you done with the module?! Who are you selling it to?! Answer me!"

Dropping down into the trees, Nova wasn't pleased to find him in less than ideal conditions. In fact, she was feeling a little vengeful. But he was still alive, at least. She wasn't entirely certain what the best way to diffuse the situation without getting him killed was. No point in brooding over the days when matter transmutation would have gotten rid of the knife. She'd just have to try and distract him.

"I could tell you where the module is…" she said in accented Kree, shifting noisily in the tree branch a few paces above and behind the Kree. When the alien jerked his attention towards the unexpected voice, Nova unleashed a slightly-more-vengeful-than-necessary fireball towards him. It sent him flying a few paces, and also set him nicely aflame. "If I wanted to," she finished, unleashing a more tame flame onto Scott's bindings.

She didn't pause to watch him get himself free, turning her attentions onto driving away the other Kree in the area. The forest was a relatively dry one, and it didn't take too much work on her part to get a real inferno going around her and Scott. "Anyone who doesn't want to be extra crispy," she remarked loudly in the Kree language, "Better start running."

Pulling the restraint from his head found Scott what he was classifying as the most beautiful sight he'd seen. Certainly he was of biased feelings, and the situation had emotional levels running high, but even so, he wasn't going to analyze it.

He smiled in Frankie's direction. "Thanks, Frankie."

Though the rapidly spreading blaze caught his attentions without much difficulty.

"Don't suppose you've got us a quick way out?"

His powers could potentially put out fires, though he'd have to level half the forest to do so effectively.

She wasn't looking at him, focused on the fire instead, as she really didn't want to leave it to spread and rampage. "That would be up, boss," Nova replied after a moment, extending her hands towards the fire to cool it down. Working at it for a minute, she managed to draw the heat completely out of it. It wouldn't take too long for it to burn itself out. That was the best she could do.

Turning to Scott, she smirked slightly, realizing what she was about to do classified as a bit of long-due revenge. "Sorry for this – actually, no, I'm not." Even if she couldn't bench tons upon tons any more, it wasn't too much to hoist Scott over her shoulder in a fireman's lift and get them both airborne.

"What the-?!" Scott was quite surprised, at least until he remembered the day he'd met her, tossing her over his shoulder and swinging over the patrons' heads in a cavalier, almost Indiana Jones-type fashion.

He could even be heard to laugh a bit as they took off. He just silently prayed Binary never saw this. She'd howl again, only this time from laughter rather than outrage.

"We'll need to get back to our shuttle, Nova. I can probably get it into the hangar bay. After what we did to get it, I don't want to lose it just yet. If you've still got your communicator, tell B to get the Starjammer moving, and head towards us."

Nova dropped her hand to her communicator. "Found him, guys. Get the ship in the air…" she said. "We'll be right with you after the boss picks up his souvenir…"

After receiving an acknowledgement from the Sufer, she switched off the communicator. "You sure you wouldn't rather stay with your new Kree friends, boss? B's not happy with you." She paused as they reached the swath of destruction left by the shuttle's landing. "Want me to take out those fighters?"

"Already on that, Nova," He been plotting a careful bead, raining several crimson blasts down on the grounded fighters, blowing off cockpits, destroying engines, and otherwise rendering them all useless.

"And B is never happy with me. I think it's conditioned behavior."

He smirked weakly. He hadn't liked his choice anymore than she did, but there was no other way to make sure the rest of the Starjammers survived.

The shuttle was the same wreck he'd expected, though the Kree had made some slight repairs to the engine, making sure it was safe at least, preparing it to be moved.

"I'll have to send them a thank you note," he noted, lifting a bit shakily into the air.

He headed for the Starjammer, but the Starjammer was already moving towards them at a fairly high speed. The Kree warship had apparently been apprised of the situation as well, as laser bolts were descending from the skies like lightning.

"You're in deep trouble, Scott Summers," came the voice of Carol Danvers over the radio. Apparently Norrin was in the hangar, already operating the bay's tractor beam, pulling the faltering shuttle inside.

As the shuttle was secured in the bay and the bay doors closed behind them, it gave them a minute or so of hanging by the door waiting to get out. Impulsively, Nova stood on her toes and brushed her lips lightly against Scott's cheek. It wasn't really the time for the finishing of the conversation, however, so all she said as the craft's door finally agreed to swing open was, "If the Kree don't manage to kill us… and if B doesn't kill you… well… I get next dibs on your time." Not waiting for a reply, she sprung out into the bay and made for her post.

B didn't comment much as Scott made his way onto the bridge. She didn't have the luxury of time right then.

Settling into the pilot's seat, Scott was pleasantly surprised. Apparently Nova and Binary had done a lot of work towards repairing the engines. The Kree warship was hot on their heels, firing away.

"B, Nova, I want both of you to man the guns. Fire as fast as you can in their general direction, try to keep those fighters off our backs if possible, but mostly I want their sensors confused with all the laserfire."

As for the captain and his pilot….well, Scott planned on playing a game of cat and mouse, and he was playing the mouse…only this mouse got steer through atmospheres. The 'cat' here could not.

Nova was already at the weapons console, and so opened fire just as he'd asked, occasionally targeting on instinct and managing to nail or clip a fighter. Norrin had lost himself down in the engine room, trying to keep their already battered systems running. All this, for a shuttle. Once they got it up and running again, however, it would be well worth it.

Apparently the data they had was worth that much, as the captain charged his ship forward relentlessly, and it wasn't too long before the Starjammer angled up, away from the gravity well, leaving the warship to flounder, its lifepods pouring out of its sides as the ship sank.

A bit more laserfire dispersed the last of the fighters, allowing an escape to lightspeed. After escaping the Kree, Binary crossed the room to where Scott was just rising from his seat, first slapping him across the face.

"You're a damned bastard, Scott Summers."

She followed this by pulling him into a tight hug.

"Don't ever do that again."

* * *

Scott had gone to the medical bay, his bruises and other injuries sustained in the crash and interrogation tended to fairly easily by their medical droid.

It was in the evening when he dropped by Nova's quarters, told she was there for now. The next few days would be insanely busy, trying to scrape the mess of shrapnel and wires back into a working ship again, and he wouldn't have time to talk to her then.

Nova's quarters were only mildly disheveled, there not being too much in the way of personal effects to have been scattered about in the past few days of conflict. She was straightening up what little there was, and was working on repairing the room's small control panel which had overloaded when the other systems had gotten abused.

"Heya, boss," she said in greeting. "All patched up now, huh?" Nova asked, looking him over a few moments as she stepped away from the console. Biting her lip, she figured she might as well try to be straightforward.

"The other day – what I said… Well, I'm sorry…" Nova rubbed the back of her neck, not quite looking at him any more. "I was a little surprised, but mostly I was just scared. Things in my life have always been so… fleeting. And, I know, a lot of that's my fault for being so… random, I guess. I've always been sort of looking for where I belonged…" She sighed at getting off track from where she wanted to go. "I really do like you, Scott. I was just scared that in the end, you'll push me away too. It wasn't fair of me to just lump you in with everyone else… So. Sorry…" She trailed off.

Scott nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "My life being the way it has been, I'd never let myself care about anyone the way I do about you. I've never had anything really 'permanent' to hang onto myself. And then there you were…." He trailed off, grinning slightly at how goofy he was sounding even to his own ears.

The funny thing was, both of them had been running scared. She was scared he would push her away like so many others had, and he'd been scared that he would find she cared nothing for him.

Maybe something less drastic than professions of love might be easier to swallow. "Can I get your help realigning the targeting scanners tomorrow? Could be a little tricky, but I think we can manage."

It was both a way to accept her apology, and as a way to spend time around her. Loren had told him not to give up. He wouldn't.

Relieved that he wasn't too upset with her, Nova nodded to his request, almost eagerly. No, this girl didn't ask for much when it came to dates. "I'd be glad to, boss." Displaying her typical impulsiveness, she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him something only slightly warmer than the typical friendly hugs that everyone got from her when she was feeling cheery. And she was feeling quite cheery now. They had their captain back, had recovered their stolen shuttle, and, if Loren was right, she'd finally stumbled across where she belonged.


End file.
